La Chute du faucon noir par SolalDe_Laage

                                                             Black Hawk Down


This 2001 all star hub has been considered by many as one of the greatest war movie ever made and rightfully so. Black Hawk Down, directed by Ridley Scott, depicts the story of 160 Americans soldiers who have to survive the hordes of the Somalian militia after one of their helicopter, a Black Hawk, is shot down. Trapped inside the city and with no chance of escape, these men fight for the only thing that matter, each other. 
After watching this art piece and even during I realised that Ridley Scott has managed to do what many have tried but few have succeeded in doing. He has shown us a peripheral view of what war is or what war could be and what it should and shouldn’t be. Thanks to to his variety of actor, he has manifested the archetype of many different soldier, be it the motivated yet somewhat naive young soldier played by Orlando Bloom, the image of loyalty, honour and idealism played by Josh Hartnett or even the resigned veteran who has accepted that war thought and war fought will never be the same and realise that even if the cycle will never end, someone has to fight the fight to protect the men next to him (Eric Bana). But even more importantly he also shows the human side of the situation through the bond between our heroes and the point of view of the local who have to endure these atrocities daily and without the possibility of a reprieve or an escape. 
I usually assess the quality of an action movie by the power it has on the rhythm of my heart. Black Hawk Down is such a masterpiece that I didn’t realise that my heart had stopped beating until the movie was over. Ridley Scott wields the rhythm of the movie as weapon to ensnare the audience in its apocalyptic and horrifying ambiance and atmosphere. From the moment the helicopter crashes on the ground to the last scene, our heart beats as fast or as slow as those soldier who are fighting for their lives. We are never given reprieve in all the violence. We have scene after scene of destruction and carnage. The frame shot of most of the battle scene are mostly close up to dive into a particular “character act” or long range so we can get a “feel” of the entire battle arena. A perfect exemple is when the military SUV tries to escape the city and the frame alternates from the point of view of the Somalians shooting from the rooftops, the American soldier’s and the monitor from which the Americans general can watch the situation.
Lastly, and I speak from a personal perspective, the music is one of the most gut wrenching tool used by the director. The contrast made by a slow beat music during a high speed chase or even the absence of music in an explosive scene sets a contradictory yet defining ambiance for more than two and a half hour. 
It is my personal belief that Ridley Scott has delivered in this action packed feature a masterpiece and has managed to show us a fragment of a glimpse of not only the horror of war but more importantly the devastating effect it has on a man mindset and soul. The message of the movie is simple but yet subtle, it is that war is futile.