“Rangers lead the way!” The line from the movie “Black Hawk Down” Helps to reveal the mentality of an American warrior. Directed by Ridley Scott in 2002, “Black Hawk Down” proves to be one of today’s most popular and realistic war movies. Many veterans state that the movie is too close to the real thing and that it should be banned.

Based upon actual events, “Black Hawk Down” takes place in a warlord-ruled Mogadishu, Somalia. An elite squad of 123 U.S. Army Rangers is sent to Somalia to oversee food rationing, but then they are given a tip of the location of two of the warlord’s top lieutenants and the mission is altered to target and eliminate them. While they are Oscar-Mike, military jargon for “on mission,” the Rangers encounter a massive army of well-armed Somolians. During one of the many firefights, two black hawks are swatted out of the sky by rocket-propelled grenades. The Rangers, led by Sgt. Eversmann, played by Josh Hartnett, focus on reaching the downed chopper in hopes of finding soldiers who may have escaped death. The new mission is clear: leave no man behind. Although the actual events were politically disastrous, the Army Rangers proved the mission to be very successful by means of military operation.
“Black Hawk Down” reveals that even through several advancements in military technology and weaponry, war never changes. “Black Hawk Down” is often negatively criticized by today’s most popular film critics. The main reason for this is because the movie is graphic, bloody, and even grotesque. Have you ever seen the first half hour of “Saving Private Ryan?” The entire length of “Black Hawk Down” seems to be portrayed in it’s likeness. The main difference between the two films is that in “Saving Private Ryan,” Steven Spielberg spends a majority of the movie introducing the character’s personalities and emotions. Contrarily, in “Black Hawk Down” nothing personal is known of the characters. This proves to be an important aspect in the success of “Saving Private Ryan.” In comparison, “Black Hawk Down” has won two Oscars, another four wins, and twenty-nine nominations, while “Saving Private Ryan” has won five Oscars, another fifty-two wins, and fifty-three nominations. Starring such stars as Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, and Tome Sizemore, “Black Hawk Down” boasts some of the best action stars of it’s time. The dedication put forth by the actors to assume their roles is astounding. The actors who played a Ranger were put through the Army Ranger School in order to peak their physical fitness and physique for the appearance of an actual Army Ranger.
Today, “Black Hawk Down” is still a popular film among patriots, action fans, and soldiers alike. The visual representation of the historical event could not be any more realistic. The United States Army loaned actual helicopters and land vehicles towards the creation of this movie. This movie is a favorite of Army Rangers because it tells their story. It reveals their mentality. The mentality that every man is brothers on the battlefield and no man gets left behind. After the actors went through Ranger School, at their orientation, they received an anonymous letter thanking them for all their hard work. The letter asked them to “Tell their story true.” The letter was signed with the names of the Rangers who lost their lives in the Mogadishu firefights.