Black Hawk Down [Blu-ray] DVD

Black Hawk Down
A quickly forgotten chapter in United States military history is relived in this harrowing war drama from director Ridley Scott, based on a series of Philadelphia Inquirer articles and subsequent book by reporter Mark Bowden. On October 3rd, 1993, an elite team of more than 100 Delta Force soldiers and Army Rangers, part of a larger United Nations peacekeeping force, are dropped into civil war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia, in an effort to kidnap two of local crime lord Mohamed Farah Aidid's top lieutenants. Among the team: Staff Sgt. Matt Eversmann (Josh Hartnett), Ranger Lt. Col. Danny McKnight (Tom Sizemore), the resourceful Delta Sgt. First Class Jeff Sanderson (William Fichtner), and Ranger Spec. Grimes (Ewan McGregor), a desk-bound clerk getting his first taste of live combat. When two of the mission's Black Hawk helicopters are shot down by enemy forces, the Americans -- committed to recovering every man, dead or alive -- stay in the area too long and are quickly surrounded. The ensuing firefight is a merciless 15-hour ordeal and the longest ground battle involving American soldiers since the Vietnam War. In the end, 70 soldiers are injured and 18 are dead, along with hundreds of Somalians. Black Hawk Down was voted one of the top ten films of the year by the National Board of Review prior to its limited Oscar-qualifying release. On the basis of his work in this film, co-star Eric Bana, a relatively unknown Australian actor playing Delta Sgt. First Class "Hoot" Gibson, won the lead in director Ang Lee's version of The Hulk (2003). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Cast Josh Hartnett as Ranger Staff Sgt. Matt Eversmann Ewan McGregor as Ranger spec. Grimes Jason Isaacs as Steele Tom Sizemore as Ranger Lt. Col. Danny McKnight Eric Bana as Delta Sgt. First Class "Hoot" Gibson William Fichtner as Delta Sgt. First Class Jeff Sanderson Ewen Bremner as Spec. Sgt. Shawn Nelson Sam Shepard as Maj. Gen. William F. Garrison Kim Coates as Wex Hugh Dancy as Ranger Sgt. First Class Kurt Schmid Ron Eldard as Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant Ioan Gruffudd as Beales Tom Guiry as Yurek Charlie Hofheimer as Smith Danny Hoch as Pilla Zeljko Ivanek as Harrell Glenn Morshower as Matthews Gabriel Casseus as Ranger Spec. Mike Kurth Jeremy Piven as Walcott Brendan Sexton, Jr. as Kowalewski Johnny Strong as Shughart Richard Tyson as Busch Brian Van Holt as Struecker Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Gordon Steven Ford as Cribbs Ian Virgo as Waddell Tom Hardy as Twombly Carmine Giovinazzo as Goodale Chris Beetem as Joyce Tac Fitzgerald as Thomas Matthew Marsden as Sizemore Orlando Bloom as Blackburn Kent Linville as Othic Enrique Murciano Jr. as Ruiz Michael Roof as Maddox George Harris as Atto Razaaq Adoti as Mo'alim Treva Etienne as Firimbi Ty Burrell as Wilkinson Boyd Kestner as Goffena Jason Hildabrant as Jollata

Crew Pier Luigi Basile - Art Director Marco Trentini - Art Director Gianni Giovagnoni - Art Director Ivo Husnjak - Art Director Cliff Robinson - Art Director Keith Pain - Art Director Pat Sandston - Associate Producer Terry Needham - Associate Producer Andrew Griffiths - Boom Operator Damir Valincic - Boom Operator Bonnie Timmermann - Casting Suzanne Smith - Casting Mark Bowden - Consultant/advisor David Murphy - Costume Designer Sammy Howarth-Sheldon - Costume Designer Neil Murphy - Costume Designer Diane Murphy - Costume Designer Rachid Gaidi - First Assistant Director Terry Needham - First Assistant Director Hatimi Ahmed - First Assistant Director Ridley Scott - Director Alexander Witt - Second Unit Director Pietro Scalia - Editor Mike Stenson - Executive Producer Chad Oman - Executive Producer Blondel Aidoo - Executive Producer Emma McGuinness - Executive Producer Robin Shenfield - Executive Producer Simon West - Executive Producer Branko Lustig - Executive Producer Hayat Ouleddahhou - Hair Styles Barbara DeLeonardis - Hair Styles Michele Vigliotta - Hair Styles Hans Zimmer - Composer (Music Score) Kathy Nelson - Musical Direction/Supervision Bob Badami - Musical Direction/Supervision Ana Bulajik-Crecek - Makeup Gianni Graziano - Makeup Antonio Maltempo - Makeup Alessandra Sampaolo - Makeup Malika Boukergane - Makeup Ron Hersey - Camera Operator Martin Kenzie - Camera Operator Daniele Massaccesi - Camera Operator Arthur Max - Production Designer Slawomir Idziak - Cinematographer Jamal Souissi - Production Manager Jerry Bruckheimer - Producer Ridley Scott - Producer Eddie Bydalek - Recording Andrea Eliseyan - Recording Eric Flickinger - Recording Banessa Bendetti - Research Roberta Federico - Set Designer Monica Sallustio - Set Designer Elli Griff - Set Designer Jon Title - Sound/Sound Designer Lubomir Misak - Stunts Jan Holicek - Stunts Rene Hajek - Stunts Michal Grun - Stunts Jiri Firt - Stunts Ratislav Kotula - Stunts Charles Ingram - Stunts Roman Jankovic - Stunts Gergely Csolle - Stunts Klaus Jindrich - Stunts Peter Hric - Stunts John Collett - Stunts Ales Bousi - Stunts Pavel Bezdek - Stunts Eric Etje - Stunts Branislav Martinak - Stunts Martin Uhrovcik - Stunts Jaroslav Psenicka - Stunts Austin Priester - Stunts Jan Petrina - Stunts Miroslav Lhotka - Stunts Rob Inch - Stunts Tomas Peterac - Stunts Peter Olgyay - Stunts Louis-Marie Nyee - Stunts Miroslav Valka - Stunts Eugene Collier - Stunts Chuck Jeffries - Stunts Marek Toth - Stunts Stanislav Satko - Stunts Phil Nielson - Stunts Coordinator Neil Corbould - Special Effects Supervisor Antoine L. Douaihy - Unit Production Manager Pamela Hochschartner - Unit Production Manager Branko Lustig - Unit Production Manager Ken Nolan - Screenwriter Steven Zaillian - Screenwriter Patrick Michael Roddam - Production Assistant Pierre Ellul - Production Assistant Dana Suman - Production Assistant Kim Whittaker - Production Assistant Marielle Magne - Production Assistant Toby E. Cook - Production Assistant Ian Quiles - Production Assistant Tariq Ait Ben Ali - Production Assistant India Salve-Guide - Production Assistant Tim Burke - Visual Effects Supervisor Emma Norton - Visual Effects Supervisor David M.V. Jones - Visual Effects Supervisor Nathan McGuinness - Visual Effects Supervisor Jeff Rona - Additional Music Michael Singer - Unit Publicist Wes Sewell - Associate Editor Marco Sacerdoti - First Assistant Camera Henryk Jedynak - First Assistant Camera Marek Modzelewski - Gaffer Rifki Abdelghani - Key Grip Dave Appleby - Key Grip Cyril Kuhmholtz - Key Grip Marc Streitenfeld - Music Editor Martin Tillman - Musical Performer Ali Tavallali - Musical Performer Samantha Maloney - Musical Performer Satnum Ramgotra - Musical Performer Brian Kilgore - Musical Performer Clay Duncan - Musical Performer Heitor Pereira - Musical Performer Michael Brook - Musical Performer John Fitzgerald - Musical Performer Jim Dooley - Musical Performer Jeff Rona - Musical Performer Craig Eastman - Musical Performer Walt Fowler - Musical Performer Ilan Eshkeri - Musical Performer Mike Fisher - Musical Performer Tami R. Goldman - Post Production Coordinator Jim Conrads - Post Production Coordinator Teresa Kelly - Post Production Supervisor Kimberley Ann Berdy - Production Coordinator Susi Roper - Production Supervisor Angela Quiles - Production Supervisor Lucio Trentini - Production Supervisor Graeme Purdy - Properties Master David Hunter - Prosthetic Makeup Effects Michael Minkler - Re-Recording Mixer Myron Nettinga - Re-Recording Mixer Nada Pinter - Script Supervisor Sally Jones - Script Supervisor Zinedine Ibnou Jabal - Second Assistant Director Ali Cherkaoui - Second Assistant Director Bruce Tanis - Sound Effects Director Perry Robertson - Sound Effects Director Christopher Assells - Sound Effects Director Michael A. Reagan - Sound Effects Director Gregory J. Hainer - Sound Effects Director Dino R. Dimuro - Sound Effects Director Dan Hegeman - Sound Effects Director Peter Staubli - Sound Effects Director Carol McAulay - Special Effects Coordinator Zoran Mikincic - Steadicam Operator Daniele Massaccesi - Steadicam Operator Sidney Baldwin - Still Photographer Per Hallberg - Supervising Sound Editor Karen M. Baker - Supervising Sound Editor Lindsay Burnett - Visual Effects Producer James A. Williams - ADR Editor Zack Davis - ADR Editor Michelle Pazer - ADR Editor Laura Graham - ADR Editor Thomas J. O'Connell - ADR Mixer Damian Anderson - Assistant Production Coordinator Rafael Lima - Assistant Production Coordinator Steve Payne - Assistant Properties Philip D. Morrill - Assistant Sound Editor Todd Egan - Assistant Sound Editor David Kudell - Assistant Sound Editor M. Najib Benfares - Best Boy Electric Michael King - Buyer Marissa Miller - Buyer Amine Rharda - Buyer Imad Rechiche - Camera Loader Gora Mbaye - Casting Assistant Meagan Lewis - Casting Assistant Salah Benchegra - Casting Assistant Jose Cabrera - Casting Assistant Seth Yanklewitz - Casting Associate Marek Modzelewski - Chief Lighting Technician Mark L. Mangino - Dialogue Editor Lauren Stephens - Dialogue Editor Stephanie Flack - Dialogue Editor Jennifer P. Luther - First Assistant Accountant Michael Reynolds - First Assistant Editor Chisako Yokoyama - First Assistant Editor Alyson Moore - Foley Artist Dan O'Connell - Foley Artist John Roesch - Foley Artist John Cucci - Foley Artist Solange S. Schwalbe - Foley Editor Michael Hertlein - Foley Editor Roger Holden - Greensman Eric Mullet - Leadman Donna Glasser - Production Accountant Fionn Comerford - Second Assistant Camera Basil Fenton-Smith - Second Assistant Camera Hanah Quinn - Second Second Assistant Director Emma Horton - Second Second Assistant Director Basil Grillo - Second Second Assistant Director Mark Allett - Set Dresser Antonio Murer - Set Dresser Sylvain Despretz - Storyboard Artist Mill Film - Visual Effects Asylum Visual Effects - Visual Effects Mark Bowden - Book Author Robert "Bobby Z" Zajonc - Pilot

Black Hawk Down
A riveting account of a devastating battle that resulted from controversial United Nations involvement in Somalia's civil war in 1993, this war picture from director Ridley Scott displays the filmmaker's reliable eye for startling visuals and effective translation of words into pictures. Whether he's employing map-like aerial views of a re-created Mogadishu in order to help the viewer understand how the action's unfolding or using documentary film techniques to reinforce the story's "you are there" realism, Scott's eclectic style synchronizes perfectly with his subject matter's brutal, mindless violence and moral equivocation. The sole drawback of this strategy is that it minimizes the individual soldiers' personal stories, challenging the audience to remain emotionally invested in a group of characters that struggle to move front and center. It's human beings on both sides, after all, that are being fed to the sausage grinder of battle here, but the suffering and bloodshed are not handled with the same emotional skill as the physical action. This seems to be a conscious choice on the part of the filmmakers, who have created a piece that is far more about the logistics of a chain of tragic events than a heartfelt plea for understanding or even an antiwar statement. In a fictitious drama, such a creative decision would be a fatal one, but projects such as the television miniseries Band of Brothers (2001) demonstrate that identifiable characters and emotional beats are expendable (to a degree) in the service of telling an important fact-based story in as accurate a fashion as possible. Black Hawk Down is not the best war movie ever made, but it is one of 2001's best and one of the most truthful about what war is like in the ultra-political, high-tech here and now. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
 

Arthur Max: American Film Institute, Best Production Design (nominated) Chris Munro: Academy, Best Sound (winner) Ken Nolan: Writers Guild of America, Best Adapted Screenplay (nominated) Michael Minkler: Academy, Best Sound (winner) Myron Nettinga: Academy, Best Sound (winner) Pietro Scalia: Academy, Best Editing (winner) Pietro Scalia: American Film Institute, Best Editing (nominated) Pietro Scalia: British Academy Awards, Best Editing (nominated) Ridley Scott: Academy, Best Director (nominated) Ridley Scott: American Film Institute, Best Director (nominated) Ridley Scott: Directors Guild of America, Best Director (nominated) Slawomir Idziak: Academy, Best Cinematography (nominated) Slawomir Idziak: American Film Institute, Best Cinematography (nominated) Slawomir Idziak: British Academy Awards, Best Cinematography (nominated)

American Film Institute, Best Picture (nominated) British Academy Awards, Best Sound (nominated) National Board of Review, Best Picture (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French, KO, Por, Spanish, TH Sound Processing: SS: Surround Sound DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: Includes Blu-Wizard technology Control your viewing experience Customize the way you watch the special features Let the Blu-Wizard navigate for you - arm the Blu-Wizard to put the content in context within the film Audio commentaries with director Ridley Scott, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, author Mark Bowden & screenwriter Ken Nolan and U.S. special forces veterans The essence of combat featurettes DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1: 2.40:1 MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: A Content Length: 144 min   DVD Chapters: Disc #1 -- Black Hawk Down 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16