Gunfire. Lots of gunfire.
Based on an actual event in 1992, US Rangers are
sent into Somalia, Africa to extract some key
dissidents. The mission doesn't go as planned.
A serene prelude, almost beautiful with the
choppers along the coastline provides contrast to
nearly two hours of Rangers trying to get their
wounded out of the hostile zone. Virtually
uninterrupted gunfire.
"I'm shot sir."
"I'm shot too, everybody's shot ... go do your
job."
Extremely effectively filmed, never a dull moment;
in fact, I'm still tense now at this writing. A hard
view. Little to no attention paid to any other story
line or depth besides the mission at hand. Just real
warfare, and as I said, much more gunfire than
dialogue. Here's one viewer's comment, "Ridley Scott
is great at the visual, but his film's don't seem to
have a point ... maybe that was what he was trying to
say here ... there is no point."
As for acting -- rock solid. Josh Hartnett, quite
unimpressive in "Pearl
Harbor," steps up strongly into this role,
managing heart, uncertainty and the devastating task
at hand believably well with only a few words.
Kudos.
"When the first bullet goes passed your head,
politics goes out the window."
The film raises more questions than it answers
about US foreign policy;
But I can tell you one thing ... I walked away
happy to be alive. Happy not to have been there.
Hell, I was exhausted just watching these men,
running, sweating, bleeding, dying and still carrying
out their missions.
Director Ridley Scott, who recently said he
supports this kind of American foreign policy,
captures the camaraderie. A quote from the film,
"It's all about the man next to you." And though
Author Mark Bowden said he'd originally written the
book as a "caution" to US intervention seemed to at
least concede that, post Sept. 11th, the film could
be seen either way, "You come out of the film with
whatever you brought to it going in." Further, he
feels both the book and the film are pro-soldier.
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