This war movie has caught the attention of war film lovers and it’s now available to stream on Amazon. Black Hawk Down, directed by Ridley Scott and based on actual events, tells the story of 160 elite US soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord.
However, they found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily armed Somalis, resulting in 18 American deaths and 70 wounded. The 2001 film, which won two Oscars, stars Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Tom Sizemore. One fan on Reddit who goes by the username of MDuncan1182, said: “Black Hawk Down is better than Saving Private Ryan.”
The fan justified the reasons for their decision, saying: “With BHD you can have almost all the same conversations you’d have about SPR but SPR talks out loud too much about the overarching theme of the film (is one man’s life worth more than another’s/other’s).
“Where BHD puts you into the story and the experience the soldiers are having and mostly allows you to think to yourself about the moral conundrums or philosophical/political debates.”
On Letterboxed, Austin said: “It’s hard to put into words the emotions I feel when I watch this movie, but if I had to choose one word it would be disheartening. Ridley Scott truly created something special.”
You can rent the film on Amazon for £3.49 or you can buy it for £7.99.
The 1988 film, Saving Private Ryan, was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Tom Hanks and Matt Damon. Set in World War Two, the story follows the Normandy Landings – a group of US soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.
Saving Private Ryan won five Oscars – Best Director; Best Cinematography; Best Sound; Best Film Editing; and Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing.
On Letterboxed, one reviewer who goes by the username of CC, said: “Within 30 mins into Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg rewrites everything about warfare filmmaking, destroys several Hollywood clichés, completely redefines the combat genre, and permanently cements his film’s place amongst the greatest examples of its kind.
“And the rest of the picture is no less intense, for this World War II epic remains powerful, visceral & harrowing throughout.”