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Issue No. 127 | 08 March 2002 |
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Power Plays
Interview: Still Flying Women: Suffrage or Suffering Industrial: No Coco Pops For Brenda Unions: Back to the Heartland Activists: Getting to the Point International: Push Polling Economics: Debt Defaulters Poetry: Those Were the Days Review: Black Hawk Dud Satire: Fox-Lew Launch Rescue Bid for Beta Video
The Soapbox The Locker Room Week in Review Tool Shed
 How to Beat the BanksCollins Goes Cahill
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Review Black Hawk DudBy Tara de Boehmler
*********** While the event has been described as one of America's biggest modern military blunders, the movie is conspicuously devoid of any kind of political or historical analysis. But as our Eric Bana's character reveals, "once the first bullet goes past your head, politics and all that shit goes out the window". That appears to be the theme of the extended battle scene that is Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down. During the Mogadishu battle, the rules of engagement restricting the marines from firing at civilians unless they were fired upon first became blurred. But in Black Hawk Down the entire battle is a blur. In the beginning of the movie the audience is given the chance to bond with the usual suspects, all American, of course. There is the young and gung-ho soldier eager for his first battle. There is the lone dark horse dinner hall queue-jumper with an attitude (Banner). Ewan McGregor plays the wasted office boy who comes into his own on the battlefield. And Josh 'Who?' Hartnett plays the soulful idealist who just wants to "make a difference". Hartnett's character Sergeant Matt Eversmann is met with much mirth when he meaningfully reveals that he "respects" the Somalis because they are starving, homeless and without opportunity. "We can either help or sit back and watch the country destroy itself," he explains. It is then he is told by his less altruistic comrades that Somalis should only be referred to as "Skinnies". This de-personalisation of the Somali people is an ongoing theme in Black Hawk Down. While US body parts start flying across the screen soon after the bonding session between audience and marines is complete, the opportunity to bond with the Somalis is never given. Not bad considering only 19 Americans died compared to 1,000 Somalis who lost their lives during the few days in which the battle raged. It is apparently enough that they are associated with a rogue civilian element battling against Americans. Such an act appears to cancel out any entitlement to have their stories told. The closest the audience is able to get to any Somali character is when one of the militiamen announces that while marines are permitted to kill but not negotiate, "in Somalia killing is negotiation". "This is how things will always be in our world," he says. The statement casts doubt on Hartnett's aim of making a difference by participating in the battle, leaving it to Banner to explain their presence. Representing the mateship element of war, Banar's answer to people who question his motives for being a fighting man is that "it is all about the men next to you. That's all it is." While it is understood that in the heat of battle a soldier's own death might be more desirable than surviving his comrades, it is surprising to hear it stated as the standalone reason for putting his hand up to go to war. If it really was just about Banar's mates, why would he not stay at home, deliver his nearest and dearest a nutritious fry up and try to wean them off the turps? There are surely better ways to express one's undying love. Rating: 2 stars (mateship gone wrong)
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