Top Ten Modern Military Movies #5

 

Black Hawk Down (2001)

One of the most pulse-pounding and dramatic modern military movie made to date, Ridley Scott’s seminal Black Hawk Down manages to show the absolute terrors of war while also depicting the dedication and bravery of United States soldiers. Set during the Battle of Mogadishu, Black Hawk Down is based on Mark Bowden’s book of the same name, a chronicle of the events as told by participants in the conflict.

The movie is a horrific depiction of sudden close quarters combat, the spontaneity of modern warfare, and the hard choices soldiers are forced to make in battle. It doesn’t bother to spend a whole lot of time introducing you to the characters, as there simply isn’t time. The film begins and is off to a running start, hardly letting up until its conclusion. The depiction of violence is sickening, yet it manages to be a patriotic example of modern war cinema.