Ridley Scott, renowned for his diverse filmography that spans across various genres, has had several iconic movies under his belt. His breakout hit was “Alien”, which is widely regarded as one of his best works. He then followed it up with “Blade Runner”, another classic in the science-fiction realm. Over the years, he delved into different genres and delivered hits like the crime drama “Thelma & Louise” and the historical epic “Gladiator”.
In 2012, Scott returned to the “Alien” franchise with the divisive prequel “Prometheus” and its 2017 sequel “Alien: Covenant”. His 2015 movie “The Martian” was well-received and provided a more optimistic take within the science-fiction genre. Additionally, his passion for historical movies remained strong, as seen in his directorial efforts for films such as “The Kingdom of Heaven”, “The Last Duel”, “Napoleon”, and the upcoming “Gladiator II”.
However, it’s his 2001 movie “Black Hawk Down” that’s currently under the spotlight for its realism. Unlike many of his other works rooted in science-fiction or distant historical events, “Black Hawk Down” is based on the real-life 1993 Black Hawk Down Incident. In this tragic event, the crew of a Black Hawk helicopter had to fight for their lives after being shot down in Mogadishu, Somalia. The movie boasted an impressive cast including Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Tom Hardy, Jason Isaacs, and Orlando Bloom. It received a 76% Tomatometer score and an 88% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, and even won Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
In a video with Insider, retired Green Beret David Harris analyzed a particularly realistic scene in “Black Hawk Down”. He examined the moment when the Black Hawk helicopter was shot down, considering both the perspective of the shooters on the ground and that of the soldiers inside the helicopter. Harris explained key aspects such as backblast, stating that the depiction of it in the movie was accurate. He elaborated on how the elevation of the shooter affects the backblast and that in the scene, as the shooter wasn’t at a high elevation and had no one behind him, the backblast was depicted realistically. He also noted that the visual portrayal of the helicopter explosion was on point.
Moreover, Harris addressed how the movie utilized the knowledge and experiences of military personnel who were present at the Battle of Mogadishu. Here are some of his comments:
“He wasn’t at a super high elevation, so his backblast was fine. He didn’t have anyone behind him, so no one was going to be messed up by the rocket actually taking off. For this scenario, most of the rockets everyone is shooting is going to have backblast, which is just the fire or the explosion of the round taking off. So the more elevation you put, the more fire that is going to come out and burn your legs. Or if someone’s right behind you, they’re going to eat all that blast of the rocket going off. You can stand directly on the sides and shoot rockets like that.
So the explosion shown in the scene hitting a helicopter is actually what it would look like. It wouldn’t be like some big overwhelming fireball. Probably the reason that RPG was able to hit that is because it’s pointfire, which means it doesn’t have something that’s it’s actually locking onto. It’s just basically like a bullet. I point it in this direction and I fire at it, so it was harder to maneuver from.
I would rate Black Hawk Down on a scale of one to 10 for realism, a nine. They pulled in a lot of resources from military guys that were there. I know they use rangers who actually do the fast rope.”
David Harris’ has effectively highlighted one of “Black Hawk Down’s” greatest strengths. While not every single event in the movie perfectly aligns with what actually transpired during the Battle of Mogadishu, Harris’ expert analysis showcases how the 2001 film serves as a powerful commentary on war. Ridley Scott’s direction presents an unflinching portrayal of the horrific and brutal realities of war. The realism in aspects like the use of firearms and the depiction of explosions contributes to vividly showing these terrifying aspects. In contrast to many movies that tend to glorify war, Scott is committed to demonstrating just how appalling war is for all those involved.
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