FILM REVIEW: BLACK HAWK DOWN

FILM REVIEW: BLACK HAWK DOWN

A “Black Hawk” is a very advanced, expensive and deadly military helicopter and the title of the movie explains what the “goal” of the plot was. Once the one hundred elite U.S. soldiers dropped into Somalia they were almost instantly fired upon. A rocket was actually shot at one of the black hawks while a soldier was preparing to descend to its target but to dodge the missile the helicopter had to jar itself to the left which caused the soldier to plummet to the ground. The movie was very graphic and the language was pretty harsh but then again the material being covered was very harsh itself. When men (and women) began opening fire on the U.S. soldiers it explained everything. Many soldiers were hurt in this battle, and a total of 19 U.S. soldiers were killed.

When the fighting began things looked good for the U.S. They did not have tactical advantage, and they did not have the advantage of having the location they were prepared for even though preparation was intense. They did have the advantage of having a better more advanced, yet smaller artillery and combat training. “Leave no U.S. soldier behind!” said the general, which helps to better explain the title. The soldiers that were alive had to get to the helicopters that had crashed so they could be seen and evacuated. Through radio contact it would be very difficult to let the rescue team let them know where they were because they couldn’t explain where they were due to the fact the aria was new to them. Plus, at the crash sites many Somaliland rebels were looting and ready to fight which only made things more difficult. Rebel ground forces were not the soldier’s only problem, the biggest threat they had were the snipers on the roof tops that were taking out ground soldiers and making it near impossible for helicopters to land for evacuation.

All in all, I thought this was a very good movie. It may have been a bit too long, and a little too gory to my taste, but it brings a much sharper picture of what war is about, and how it works. Actors Josh Hartnett and Eric Bana did a great job of making the movie seem very realistic, and helped to personalize the soldiers so they weren’t just machines.

Read More

FILM REVIEW: GANDHI

FILM REVIEW: GANDHI


The movie, Gandhi, was a biography of Mohandas Gandhi and the many accomplishments he had during his lifetime. Gandhi showed us that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it and he stood up against discrimination without using violence or anger. With this he overcame many obstacles and he went far in life. He was actually able to set free India by opening the eyes of many people.

Gandhi studied law and became a lawyer in London, England. While riding on a train to South Africa he was kicked out of the train for being colored. In South Africa an Indian had to have a pass in order to simply walk the streets. He stayed in South Africa for 21 years to fight this type of discrimination. He continued to preach passive resistance even at times when he and his followers were beaten, thrown in jail and killed. He continued to lead non-violent marches through South Africa, and the white people in South Africa began to have second thoughts about the way the Indians were treated.

During the Boer War, Gandhi organized an ambulance corps for the British army and commanded a Red Cross unit. After the war he returned to his fight for Indian rights. Finally, Gandhi's influence was too much to overcome and he won the rights for the Indians in South Africa. When he returns to India he is welcomed back as a hero. He continues on leading protests, getting arrested, and fasting for his cause. In 1919, Parliament passed the Rowlatt Acts, giving the Indian colonial authorities emergency powers to deal with so-called revolutionary activities, Satyagraha spread through India, gaining millions of followers. A demonstration against the Rowlatt Acts resulted in a massacre of Indians at Amritsar by British Soldiers in 1920. When it is all many Indian men, woman and children were brutally killed. When the British government did not make amends the Indian people no longer will follow Gandhi and start to riot and fight. Gandhi goes on a fast to repent for the sins of the people and the Indian people so respect him that quit rioting and fighting so he will eat and not die. In 1944, the British government agreed to Indian independence as long as the two contending nationalist groups, the Muslim League and the Congress Party, should resolve their differences.

Gandhi was killed by a Hindu extremist, which prompted riots through out India. This movie was moving and inspirational. To see how one person could change the beliefs and actions of many people and whole countries was remarkable. How he was so strong in his beliefs that he would not go against them not matter what was done to him or his people. He was beaten, thrown in jail, many of his followers were killed and his still stuck to his beliefs. Martin Luther King used the same principal right here in our own country to open the eyes of the American people and in many ways Martin Luther King is like Gandhi.

This movie made me cry and it taught me a lot about Gandhi. He was a strong willed man and he never gave up his fight. Not once did he use violence to get his point across. When he was killed everyone paid tribute to his death. He was a remarkable man and in my eyes he's a hero. I think people in today's society can learn a lot from his life. There are many issues and problems in today's society and most people turn to violence. This doesn't do any good and only leads to more heartache. I think we need to look up to Gandhi and try to handle some of our problems and situation without violence. Gandhi is a good role model and is an example of a strong and wise individual.

Read More