Black Hawk Down
Movie Poster from Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down
Directed by	Ridley Scott
Produced by	Jerry Bruckheimer Ridley Scott
Written by	Mark Bowden Ken Nolan
Starring	Josh Hartnett Ewan McGregor Tom Hardy Tom Sizemore William Fichtner Eric Bana Sam Shepard Orlando Bloom Ioan Gruffudd
Music by	Hans Zimmer, Denez Prigent
Cinematography	Slawomir Idziak
Editing by	Pietro Scalia
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	December 28, 2001
Running time	144 min.
Language	English
Budget	$92 million
IMDb profile

Black Hawk Down is a 2001 film by Ridley Scott, based on the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden. It depicts the Battle of Mogadishu (also referred to as the "Battle of the Black Sea"), which was part of the U.S. military's 1993 campaign to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The movie stars Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, Jason Isaacs, and Orlando Bloom. It won awards for Film Editing and Sound at the 75th Academy Awards in 2002. File links The following pages link to this file: Black Hawk Down Categories: Fair use posters ... Sir Ridley Scott (born November 30, 1937 in South Shields, England) is an influential Academy Award-nominated English film director and producer. ... Jerome Leon Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1945) is a film and television producer in the genre of action, drama, and science fiction. ... Sir Ridley Scott (born November 30, 1937 in South Shields, England) is an influential Academy Award-nominated English film director and producer. ... Mark Robert Bowden (II) (born July 17, 1951) is an accomplished American writer. ... Joshua Daniel Hartnett (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor. ... Ewan Gordon McGregor (born March 31, 1971)(IPA pronunciation: [1]) is a Scottish actor who has had significant success in mainstream, indie and art house films. ... Edward Thomas Hardy (born September 15, 1977 in London, England), better known simply as Tom Hardy, is a British actor who is best known for his role of the Romulan Praetor Shinzon, a clone of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). ... Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. ... William Edward Bill Fichtner (born November 27, 1956 in East Meadow, New York) is an American actor. ... Eric Bana (born Eric Banadinovich on August 9, 1968) is an Australian film and television actor. ... Actor Sam Shepard mulls over a scene in the motion picture Stealth, while filming on June 15, 2004, aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. ... Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom[1] (born January 13, 1977) is an English actor. ... Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced ) (born October 6, 1973 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales) is a Welsh actor. ... Hans Florian Zimmer (born September 12, 1957) is an Academy Award, Grammy, and Golden Globe award-winning film score composer. ... Denez Prigent is a Breton singer of the gwerz and kan ha diskan Breton styles, who has recorded 5 albums and has appeared with Lisa Gerrard on two duets. ... Slawomir Idziak was born January 25, 1945 in Katowice, Poland. ... Biography Pietro Scalia was born in Sicily in 1960. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Sir Ridley Scott (born November 30, 1937 in South Shields, England) is an influential Academy Award-nominated English film director and producer. ... “Black Hawk Down” is an official phrase used on combat situations, by the United States military, to inform the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter. ... Mark Robert Bowden (II) (born July 17, 1951) is an accomplished American writer. ... Combatants USSOF, UNOSOM II Somali National Alliance-affiliated militias Commanders William F. Garrison Mohamed Farrah Aidid Strength 160 2,000+ Casualties U.S. 18 killed 73 wounded 1 captured Malaysia 1 killed 7 wounded Pakistan 2 wounded Militia and civilians 1,000+ killed 3,000+ wounded Task Force Ranger achieved... A warlord is a person with power who has de facto military control of a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. ... General Mohamed Farrah Aidid (Somali: ; December 15, 1934 – August 1, 1996) was a controversial Somali leader, often described as a warlord[1]. He was the chairman of United Somali Congress (USC) and later Somali National Alliance (SNA) who drove Mohamed Siad Barre’s dictatorial regime from the capital, Mogadishu and... Joshua Daniel Hartnett (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor. ... Ewan Gordon McGregor (born March 31, 1971)(IPA pronunciation: [1]) is a Scottish actor who has had significant success in mainstream, indie and art house films. ... Eric Bana (born Eric Banadinovich on August 9, 1968) is an Australian film and television actor. ... Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. ... William Edward Bill Fichtner (born November 27, 1956 in East Meadow, New York) is an American actor. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom[1] (born January 13, 1977) is an English actor. ... 75th Academy Awards Sunday, March 23, 2003 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California Host Show: Steve Martin Crew Producer: Gil Cates Duration 3 hours, 30 minutes The 75th Academy Awards ceremony was originally intended to be an especially festive celebration of the ceremonys 75th anniversary. ...

Plot

Based on the best-selling Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War detailing an ill-fated Special Operations Command mission in Somalia on October 3, 1993. “Black Hawk Down” is an official phrase used on combat situations, by the United States military, to inform the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter. ... Special Operations Command may refer to the Special Operations Command of the Australian Defence Forces. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

A mixed assault force of Delta Force operators, Army Rangers, and Navy SEALs (SEAL Team 6/DEVGROUP 2) under the command of Gen. William Garrison and Col. Lee Van Arsdale were dropped by helicopters of the US Army's Special Operations Air Regiment (SOAR) deep into the capital city of Mogadishu to capture two senior lieutenants of Somali warlord Aidid, Osman Ali Atto and Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid. The raid by the Delta operators was successful and the wanted persons were captured and taken into American custody. However, when Somali militia armed with RPGs downed two Black Hawk helicopters, a 30 minute mission became a pitched battle between the American forces and Somali militia lasting almost 18 hours. Much of the following must be recognised as speculation as the United States Government neither officially recognises or denies the existence of Delta Force. ... The 75th Ranger Regiment —also known as the United States Army Rangers— is a special operations force of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC); with headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia. ... William Garrison is the name of several individuals William Lloyd Garrison abolitionist William Lewis Garrison geographer and professor William F. Garrison US Military General during Black Hawk Down events This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Col. ... A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ... Mogadishu (Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar; Arabic: ; Italian: ), is the largest city in Somalia, and its capital. ... Mohamed Farrah Aidid USASOC Photo Date of birth 1934 Place of birth Somalia, Africa Date of death August 1, 1996 (gunshot wounds) Place of death Somalia Occupation Military intelligence Military education Trained in Rome and Moscow. ... Osman Hassan Ali Atto (also Ato) is a prominent Somali businessman and politician, affiliated with the Somali National Alliance. ... Abdi Hasan Awale or Abdi Qeybdiid (Somali: ) is a Somali militia leader, or warlord. ... An RPG-7 captured by the US Army A rocket propelled grenade (RPG) is a loose term describing hand-held, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead. ... The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a medium-lift utility or assault helicopter used by over 20 nations. ...

American soldiers pull out a dead body out of a Black Hawk crash site.

The movie recounts the efforts by the American soldiers to get to the crash sites and recover their wounded personnel. Most of the action centers on a few soldiers, such as Staff Sergeant Eversmann who led Ranger Chalk Four. Other parts of the movie focus on Lt. Col. McKnight and his rescue convoy that gets ambushed throughout the hostile city. The story also chronicles the efforts of Cpt. Steele, who was in command of the four Ranger 'chalks' and the fictional character of SFC. Jeff Sanderson (a Delta operator based on Paul Howe), and the sole survivor of the second crash Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant, as well as the courageous defense made by Delta operators Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart to protect Durant's crash site. The comrades of Durant that flew above him also tried valiantly to save Durant. An RPG hit Goffena's MH-60 and he made a forced landing, although he landed in safe territory. Shughart and Gordon were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions at the crash site. Image File history File links Blackhwdnphoto. ... Image File history File links Blackhwdnphoto. ... Sergeant First Class Paul Howe is a Delta Force operative who served in Somalia in the year 1993. ... Michael Mike J. Durant is the American pilot that was held prisoner after a raid in Mogadishu, Somalia on October 3, 1993. ... United States Army Master Sgt. ... United States Army Sgt. ...

The soldiers were able to hold off the militia at the first crash site until dawn, when a convoy consisting of the 10th Mountain Division, Pakistani and Malaysian UN troops reached them and they were able to successfully exit the hostile area of the city to a Pakistani-occupied soccer stadium. During the battle, 18 American soldiers were killed, although another was killed two days later by a mortar (Matt Rierson) bringing the toll to 19: The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division of the United States Army currently serving under the XVIII Airborne Corps. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

It is estimated that over a thousand Somali militia and civilians lost their lives. Aidid (Mohammed Farah Aidid) was killed in 1996 during a battle with the militia of his rival Osman Ali Atto. Mohamed Farrah Aidid USASOC Photo Date of birth 1934 Place of birth Somalia, Africa Date of death August 1, 1996 (gunshot wounds) Place of death Somalia Occupation Military intelligence Military education Trained in Rome and Moscow. ... Osman Hassan Ali Atto (also Ato) is a prominent Somali businessman and politician, affiliated with the Somali National Alliance. ...

Background and production

This project was originally the idea of director Simon West who urged producer Jerry Bruckheimer to obtain the rights of the book with a view to directing it himself. However, West abandoned the project to direct Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001).^{[citation needed]} Simon West (born 1961) is an English film director. ... Jerome Leon Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1945) is a film and television producer in the genre of action, drama, and science fiction. ... Categories: Movie stubs | Action films | Adventure films | 2001 films | Films based on video games ...

Despite the fact that Ken Nolan is the only credited writer, there were others that contributed uncredited. Sam Shepard wrote most of his own dialogue as Major General William F. Garrison; Eric Roth wrote crucial speeches for Josh Hartnett and Eric Bana to deliver in the closing minutes; Steven Zaillian made a dialogue-driven rewrite; and Stephen Gaghan contributed to the writing of the screenplay. Author Mark Bowden wrote early drafts of the screenplay, before Jerry Bruckheimer turned it over. The scene between Mike Durant and Firimbi is a portion from one of Bowden's early drafts. Actor Sam Shepard mulls over a scene in the motion picture Stealth, while filming on June 15, 2004, aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. ... Eric Roth (born 1945) is an American screenwriter. ... Steven Zaillian (born on 30 January 1953 in Fresno, California, USA) is an American screenwriter, film director, editor and producer, of Armenian descent. ... Stephen Gaghan (born May 6, 1965, Louisville, Kentucky) is an American film writer and director. ...

About forty of the actors who were portraying Rangers were sent to Fort Benning to attend a two week crash course in becoming Rangers, three of the actors portraying Delta Operators were sent to Fort Bragg and were given a two week Commando Course by members of the 1st Special Warfare Training Group. Ron Eldard and the several of the actors who portrayed the pilots of the 160th SOAR went to Fort Campbell and were given a lecture by Michael Durant (whom Ron Eldard portrays in the movie) and by several Little Bird and Black Hawk pilots. Fort Benning is a United States Army base, located southwest of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama It is part of the Columbus, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. ... Fort Bragg is a census-designated place and a major United States Army fort, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA, near Fayetteville. ... Michael Mike J. Durant (born July 23, 1961) is the American pilot who was held prisoner after a raid in Mogadishu, Somalia on October 3, 1993. ...

The directors enlisted the help of the US Army, and all Black Hawks and Little Birds used during the filming were from the 160th SOAR, (Special Operations Aviation Regiment) and most of the pilots (such as Keith Jones who delivers a small amount of dialogue during the movie) were involved in the actual battle on 3-4 October 1993. The US Army also supplied the ground vehicles and weapons. Additionally, a platoon of Rangers from Bravo Company, 3/75 Ranger Regiment (the same company that was involved in the events of the movie) were employed to do the fast-roping scenes and act as extras. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a medium-lift utility or assault helicopter derived from the twin-turboshaft engine, single rotor Sikorsky S-70. ... The Hughes H-6 is a family of light utility civilian and assault helicopters. ... (Redirected from 160th SOAR) Unit name 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) Abbreviated: 160th SOAR (A) Nickname Night Stalkers Branch U.S. Army Mission Provide aviation support to U.S. Special Operations Forces Headquarters Fort Campbell, Kentucky USA Motto Night Stalkers Dont Quit (NSDQ) Death Waits in the Dark... The 75th Ranger Regiment —also known as the United States Army Rangers— is an elite light infantry special operations force of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC); with headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia. ... Fast-roping is a technique for descending down a thick rope. ...

Much of the film was shot in Salé and Rabat, Morocco. Salé (from the Berber word asla, meaning rock) is the twin city to Rabat, capital of Morocco. ... Mausoleum of Mohammed V through mosque ruins NASA image of Rabat Rabat (Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ), population 1. ...

Cast

• George Harris - Osman Ali Atto, lieutenant of general Aidid
• Josh Hartnett - Staff Sergeant Matt Eversmann, U.S. Army Ranger
• Ewan McGregor - Specialist John Grimes, U.S. Army Ranger
• Jason Isaacs - Captain Mike Steele, U.S. Army Ranger
• Tom Sizemore - Lt. Colonel Danny McKnight, U.S. Army Ranger
• William Fichtner - Sergeant First Class Jeff Sanderson, Delta operator
• Eric Bana - Sergeant First Class Norm 'Hoot' Hooten, Delta operator
• Sam Shepard - Major General William F. Garrison, Task Force Ranger commander
• Ewen Bremner - Specialist Shawn Nelson, U.S. Army Ranger
• Tom Hardy (as Thomas Hardy) - Specialist Lance Twombly, U.S. Army Ranger
• Ron Eldard - Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant, 160th SOAR
• Charlie Hofheimer - Corporal James 'Jamie' Smith, U.S. Army Ranger
• Hugh Dancy - Sergeant First Class Kurt Schmid, Delta medic (portrayed as a Ranger in the film)
• Tom Guiry (as Thomas Guiry) - Staff Sergeant Ed Yurek, U.S. Army Ranger
• Brian Van Holt - Staff Sergeant Jeff Struecker, U.S. Army Ranger
• Steven Ford - Lt. Colonel Joe Cribbs
• Ioan Gruffudd - Lt. John Beales
• Matthew Marsden - Specialist Dale Sizemore, U.S. Army Ranger
• Nikolaj Coster Waldau - Master Sergeant Gary Gordon, Delta operator (Medal of Honor Recipient)
• Orlando Bloom - Private First Class Todd Blackburn, U.S. Army Ranger
• Johnny Strong - Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart, Delta operator (Medal of Honor Recipient)
• Kim Coates - Master Sergeant Tim 'Griz' Martin, Delta operator
• Zeljko Ivanek- Lt. Colonel Gary Harrell, Delta component commander
• Glenn Morshower - Lt. Colonel Tom Matthews, 1-160th SOAR commander
• Enrique Murciano - Sergeant Lorenzo Ruiz, U.S. Army Ranger
• Jeremy Piven - Chief Warrant Officer Cliff 'Elvis' Wolcott, 160th SOAR
• Richard Tyson - Staff Sergeant Daniel Busch, Delta operator
• Carmine Giovinazzo - Sergeant Mike Goodale, U.S. Army Ranger

George Harris is a film actor, who was in Layer Cake, Flash Gordon, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Black Hawk Down and The Interpreter. ... Osman Hassan Ali Atto (also Ato) is a prominent Somali businessman and politician, affiliated with the Somali National Alliance. ... Mohamed Farrah Aidid USASOC Photo Date of birth 1934 Place of birth Somalia, Africa Date of death August 1, 1996 (gunshot wounds) Place of death Somalia Occupation Military intelligence Military education Trained in Rome and Moscow. ... Joshua Daniel Hartnett (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor. ... Matt Eversmann (right) talking with SMA Jack Tilley (left) Matthew Eversmann is a former US Army Ranger and was the leader of Chalk 4 during The Battle of Mogadishu. ... Ewan Gordon McGregor (born March 31, 1971)(IPA pronunciation: [1]) is a Scottish actor who has had significant success in mainstream, indie and art house films. ... John Grimes is a fictional character in the movie Black Hawk Down, played by Ewan McGregor. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Michael D. Steele was a Captain and a company commander in the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment who came to fame for his part in the Somalia mission Operation Gothic Serpent, which resulted in the now famous book and movie Black Hawk Down. ... Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. ... Col Danny McKnight Danny R. McKnight (born 1952)[1] was the leader of the Lost Convoy during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3, 1993. ... William Edward Bill Fichtner (born November 27, 1956 in East Meadow, New York) is an American actor. ... Sergeant First Class Jeff Sanderson is a fiction Delta Force operative in the film Black Hawk Down, where he is portrayed by William Fichtner. ... Eric Bana (born Eric Banadinovich on August 9, 1968) is an Australian film and television actor. ... Norman Hoot Hooten is a fictional Delta Force operator created for the film Black Hawk Down which captures the events of the Battle of Mogadishu. ... Actor Sam Shepard mulls over a scene in the motion picture Stealth, while filming on June 15, 2004, aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. ... William F. Garrison is a former Major General of the United States Army. ... Ewen Bremner (b. ... Shawn Nelson was a United States Army Ranger who served in Mogadishu, Somalia. ... Edward Thomas Hardy (born September 15, 1977 in London, England), better known simply as Tom Hardy, is a British actor who is best known for his role of the Romulan Praetor Shinzon, a clone of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). ... Ronald J. Eldard (Born: February 20, 1965 in Long Island, New York, New York) is an American film actor. ... Michael Mike J. Durant (born July 23, 1961) is the American pilot who was held prisoner after a raid in Mogadishu, Somalia on October 3, 1993. ... Charlie Hofheimer is an American actor. ... Jamie Smith was a U.S. Army Ranger who served in Mogadishu, Somalia. ... Hugh Dancy (born 19 June 1975) is a British actor. ... Tom Guiry (Born October 12, 1981) is an American actor from Trenton, New Jersey, USA. His most notable appearances were in The Sandlot, Mystic River, The Mudge Boy, and The Four Diamonds. ... Ed Yurek (b. ... Brian Van Holt, born July 6, 1969, in Waukegan, Illinois. ... Jeff Struecker is a U.S. Army Chaplain notable for his involvement in the events commonly known as Black Hawk Down in 1993. ... Steven Meigs Ford (born May 19, 1956) is an American actor. ... Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced ) (born October 6, 1973 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales) is a Welsh actor. ... Matthew Marsden (born March 3, 1973, in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England) is an English actor. ... Dale Sizemore was an United States Army Ranger, who fought in the First Battle of Mogadishu (Operation Gothic Serpent - October 3, 1993). ... Danish actor born on July 27th 1970 He has appeared in the following 9 Danish movies: Nattevagten (1994) Nattens engel (1998) Vildspor (1998) Antenneforeningen (1999) Misery Habour (1999) På fremmed mark (2000) Manden bag døren (2003) Rembrandt (2003) Den gode strømer (2004) Has also had played subordinate parts... United States Army Master Sgt. ... Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom[1] (born January 13, 1977) is an English actor. ... Todd Anthony Blackburn (born 1973) was a U.S. Army Ranger deployed with B Company, 3rd Battalion, to Mogadishu, Somalia during Operation Gothic Serpent in 1993. ... United States Army Sgt. ... Kim Coates (born in 1959 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian actor who has worked in both Canadian and American movies and television series. ... Željko Ivanek (born August 15, 1957) is a television, film, and stage actor. ... Glenn Morshower (born April 24, 1959 in Dallas, Texas) is a popular American character actor perhaps best known for his recurring role as Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce on the television drama 24. ... Enrique Murciano (born July 9, 1973, in Miami, Florida) is an American actor He is best known for playing Special Agent Danny Taylor in the CBS drama Without a Trace. ... Jeremy Samuel Piven (born July 26, 1965) is an Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe nominated American actor. ... Richard Martin Tyson (February 13, 1956 in Mobile, Alabama, USA), is an American actor. ... Carmine Dominick Giovinazzo (born on August 24, 1973) is an American actor. ...

Awards

The film won the following awards:

• the 2002 Academy Award for Best Editing (Pietro Scalia)
• the 2002 Academy Award for Best Sound (Michael Minkler, Myron Nettinga, Chris Munro)
• the 2002 Golden Reel Award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA for Best Sound Editing - Effects and Foley, Domestic Feature Film
• the 2002 Harry Award

It was also nominated for the following awards: Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... The MPSE Golden Reel Award is an award presented by the organization of Motion Picture Sound Editors in categories related to the craft of audio post production, such as Sound Editing, Music Editing, Dialog Editing, and Sound Effect Editing. The award was first presented in 1953 and has continued into...

• the 2002 Academy Award for Best Director (Ridley Scott)
• the 2002 Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Slawomir Idziak)
• the 2002 AFI Film Award for AFI Cinematographer of the Year (Slawomir Idziak)
• the 2002 AFI Film Award for AFI Director of the Year (Ridley Scott)
• the 2002 AFI Film Award for AFI Editor of the Year (Pietro Scalia)
• the 2002 AFI Film Award for AFI Movie of the Year (Jerry Bruckheimer, Ridley Scott)
• the 2002 AFI Film Award for AFI Production Designer of the Year (Arthur Max)
• the 2002 MTV Movie Award for MTV Movie Award Best Action Sequence (First helicopter crash)
• the 2002 MTV Movie Award for MTV Movie Award Best Movie
• the 2002 WGA Award (Screen) for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published (Ken Nolan)
• the 2002 Teen Choice Award for Film - Choice Actor, Drama/Action Adventure (Josh Hartnett)
• the 2002 Teen Choice Award for Film - Choice Movie, Drama/Action Adventure
• the 2002 Golden Reel Award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA for Best Sound Editing - Dialogue and A.D.R., Domestic Feature Film
• the 2002 Golden Trailer for Best Drama
• the 2002 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (Ridley Scott)

The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV. Categories Best Movie Best Male Performance Besy Female Performance Most Desirable Male Most Desirable Female Best Breakthrough Performance (Male and Female) Best On-Screen Duo Best Villain Best Comedic Performance Best Song From a Movie (Best musical... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Other production information

This article or section contains unencyclopedic lists that may require cleanup. To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, please help improve this article by: removing items which are not notable, encyclopedic, or helpful from embedded lists; incorporating appropriate items into the main body of the article; and discussing this issue on the talk page.

This section does not cite its references or sources. Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!) Any unsourced material that has been or is likely to be challenged may be removed at any time. You can also use {{More sources}} if multiple sections (but not the entire article) is missing sources. This article has been tagged since March 2007. Image File history File links Information_icon. ... Image File history File links Information_icon. ...

• The photo of a wife and child that Durant is looking at is actually a photo of Eric Bana's wife and child. The props department forgot to take a photo of a wife and child with them, so they asked Bana's wife and child who were traveling with him if they could use a photo of them in the movie.

• The wife of Randy Shughart is played by Ridley Scott's girlfriend Giannina Facio who also appeared in Gladiator as Maximus' wife.

• Disney passed on distributing this film because of its violent R rating. Its eventual distributor, Revolution Studios, is run by ex-Disney studios chairman Joe Roth.

• Josh Hartnett, Tom Sizemore, Ewan Bremner, William Fichtner and Kim Coates all previously worked together in another war film Pearl Harbor (2001).

• Some of the scenes on the monitors behind Major General Garrison are actual images that were taken from the Orion spy plane that was orbiting over Mogadishu during the battle.

• The Ranger that runs after SSG Strueker's HMMWV to join the rescue convoy is a real Ranger, named John Bamford. He was hastily given membership in the Screen Actor's Guild for him to perform the role.

• On the last day of their week-long Army Ranger orientation at Fort Benning, the actors who portrayed the Rangers received a letter that had been anonymously slipped under their door. The letter thanked them for all their hard work, asked them to "tell our story true" and was signed with the names of the Rangers who died in the Mogadishu firefight.

• According to IMDB.com,

  The massive shoot of the "target building insert" sequence was intended to be among the first sequences shot in principal photography, due to its complex nature. However, negotiations to borrow four Black Hawk helicopters from the United States military were so arduous that an agreement was not reached until a month after shooting had commenced. Director Ridley Scott had prepared a rental of four Hueys from Germany that were ready to be painted black and work as substitutes in the event an agreement with the US Department of Defense could not be reached. Fortunately, the US Government was eventually satisfied that the film would portray the incident in a positive light, and shipped the helicopters to the location in two C-5 Galaxy transports. Ridley Scott says this was very fortunate for the film, since the title is "Black Hawk Down" and Hueys have no resemblance to Black Hawks. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. ... Revolution Studios was founded in 2000 by Joe Roth, a former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and Twentieth Century Fox. ... Joe Roth is a producer and film director, born on June 13, 1948 in New York City to a Jewish family. ... Pearl Harbor is a war film released in the summer of 2001 by Touchstone Pictures. ... The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is the labor union representing film actors in the United States. ... The Bell Helicopter Textron UH-1 Iroquois, commonly (or officially in the United States Marine Corps) known as the Huey, is a multipurpose military helicopter, famous for its use in the Vietnam War. ... The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft designed to provide strategic heavy airlift over intercontinental distances. ...

• One of the Black Hawk helicopters used in the film was named the "Armageddon" (a film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer) and another was named the "Gladiator" (a film directed by Ridley Scott). Producer Jerry Bruckheimer believed this to be a sign of good luck.

• The scene where the helicopter follows the informant's car was an error as the helicopter on the screen in front of General Garrison is a Huey, but when the image cuts away, the chopper from the screen becomes a Black Hawk.

• The scene where a U.S. soldier falls out of the truck in the convoy was an outtake, but director Ridley Scott felt that it was funny and should be left in the movie.

• The scene in which Captain Steele and Sergeant Sanderson argue about "Hoot's" behavior at the cafeteria is biased towards Captain Steele's behalf. In the novel, Captain Mike Steele had a problem with the Delta Force's behavior, feeling that they were a bad influence to his Army Rangers, as many of his young soldiers had begun to question his "robot-Ranger" protocols which Delta Force and later they viewed as procedures for procedure's sake. The incident did in fact occur in the cafeteria in which a Delta Operator, Norm Hooten, had walked into the cafeteria with his safety off. When Steele approached him, the operator pointed at his finger and said, "This is my safety." The real-life version of Sanderson, Paul Howe, on the other hand felt that the Ranger's strict training regimen was doing more harm than good when it came to actual combat situations.

• SFC "Hoot" Hooten is a compilation character, whose storyline is comprised of the combined exploits of several anonymous Delta and U.S. Special Forces operators. "Hoot" (really Sgt. Norman Hooten) himself is barely mentioned in the book. Although he was an important figure in the battle, much of the information concerning him came from his buddy Sgt. Paul Howe.

• The scene where Staff Sergeant Eversmann runs unprotected across a street under heavy fire to plant a targeting strobe did happen in the actual battle although it wasn't Eversman who did the act; SPC Twombley was ordered to plant a flat triangular marker (similar to a construction marker) out in the middle of the street so that pilots could identify their position. In another incident, Technical Sergeant Tim Wilkinson, an Air Force Pararescueman, repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to collect medical supplies and to treat a wounded Ranger named Carlos Rodriguez holed up near the first crash site. For his bravery, he was awarded the Air Force Cross, a medal second only to the Medal of Honor. Many of his fellow PJ buddies (formerly Parajumpers but now "Pararescuemen") joked that he had run too slowly and thrown off all the Somalian's aim.

• The film takes creative license on Staff Sergeant Eversmann's role in the battle. In the film, Eversmann became a compilation character based on his own experiences, and U.S. Army Rangers Tom Ditomasso and Larry Perino. In the movie, he is shown as a key member of the movement to the crash site, who essentially substituted for Ditomasso and Perino. In the actual operation given in truth and in the novel, Eversmann was actually a member of the lost convoy and returned to base with the prisoners. The only actual event depicted accurately on Eversmann's experiences in both sources was Blackburn's injury.

• Like Eversmann, Sergeant Lorenzo Ruiz, played by Enrique Murciano, is shown as a key member of Steele's team. In actuality, Ruiz was also with the lost convoy, but he did suffer a severe wound to his abdomen and died on a transport on the way to Germany.

• SFC Kurt Schmid played by Hugh Dancy was actually a Delta Force medic, not a U.S. Army Ranger medic. Although he started off as a Ranger, he became a Special Forces medic and served in the Delta Force during which time he was in Mogadishu. Kurt went on to become a Special Forces Warrant Officer and has since retired. Years later, with the publishing of Bowden's book, Schmid took leave from his post in Japan to talk with the father of Jamie Smith, the Ranger he had fought so desperately to save.

• During the scene between Grimes (Ewan McGregor) and Sizemore (Matthew Marsden), Grimes asks Sizemore how he broke his arm. Sizemore says he broke his arm in a ping-pong accident. In reality, Sizemore broke his arm while in a scuffle with Lieutenant Colonel Harrell in the hangar (although saying that he broke it in ping-pong could be taken as a joke on his part).

• The US troops on several occasions refer to the local Somalis as skinnies. This is a possible reference to the fictional alien race in the Robert A. Heinlein novel Starship Troopers. Another possible source of the term stems from the fact that many of the Somalis were malnourished or had slender builds, hence the description of "skinnies." Somalis were also referred to as "Sammies" in radio chatter during the first scenes.

• In the last scene, SFC Sanderson was seen using a Colt M1911 after he ran out of ammo, but later is seen holding a Beretta M9. (This does not appear in the Revolution Studios demonstration Copy)

• In the scene where SFC Shugart and Master SGT Gordon go to protect the second crash site, Gordon is seen carrying a suppressed M733 carbine, while Shugart carries an M14. During their battle with the militia, the camera switches from Gordon to Shugart for several seconds, during which time Shugart is firing a scopeless M16 rifle and his M14 is nowhere to be seen. The M16 is likely plucked from the wreckage.

• After Master Sgt Gordon is killed, SFC Shugart takes his M733 to give to Michael Durant. However, shortly before Shugart approaches him, Durant already has the M733 lying across his lap.

• The film brought an unusual pairing from season one of 24. The man enlisted to defend Senator David Palmer from assassination was Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce, and the would be assassin was European crime lord Andre Drazen. The actors of these characters, Glenn Morshower (Pierce) and Zeljko Ivanek (Drazen), appeared alongside each other in a US chopper, both as American soldiers.

• Mark Bowden's cousin, David Keane, produced and directed a documentary for The History Channel titled, The True Story of Black Hawk Down. The documentary was released in 2002 and is included in some of the actual movie's DVD releases.

• In the scene where Nelson, Twombly and Yurek finally find Eversmann's squad at the crash site we can see bullets hitting the ground while Yurek is running towards shelter, however we can't hear any gunfire as the Somalians are either praying, or resting at that time. They start shooting when the last of the soldiers (Twombly) makes his way towards the strong point.

• Specialist Grimes was based on Specialist John Stebbins. The change in names made at the request of the Pentagon because he was convicted by court martial in 1999 for sexually assaulting his six-year old daughter.^[1]

• The scene were a severed hand appears was out of sequence because it belonged to SPC Richard Kowalewski and was severed later when a RPG went into the cab of the truck he was driving severing his hand, lodging in his torso and did not explode. Kowalewski later was covered by sandbags out side the base hospital because of the unexploded RPG and died of his injuries

The evangelist John of Patmos writes the Book of Revelation. ... Pollice Verso (With a Turned Thumb), an 1872 painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme, is a well known history painters researched conception of a gladiatorial combat. ... An outtake can be a take or scene, as of a movie, or a television program, that is filmed but not used in the final cut, usually for pacing reasons. ... Sergeant First Class Paul Howe is a Delta Force operative who served in Somalia in the year 1993. ... The United States Special Operations Forces is the official category where the U.S. Department of Defense lists the U.S. military units that have a training specialization in unconventional warfare and special operations. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Air Force Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. ... The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ... Larry Perino is a U.S. Army Ranger who served in Somalia. ... Enrique Murciano (born July 9, 1973, in Miami, Florida) is an American actor He is best known for playing Special Agent Danny Taylor in the CBS drama Without a Trace. ... Hugh Dancy (born 19 June 1975) is a British actor. ... Ewan Gordon McGregor (born March 31, 1971)(IPA pronunciation: [1]) is a Scottish actor who has had significant success in mainstream, indie and art house films. ... Matthew Marsden (born March 3, 1973, in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England) is an English actor. ... Skinnies: A fictional alien race created by author Robert A. Heinlein in the novel Starship Troopers. ... Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of hard science fiction. ... Starship Troopers is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published (in abridged form) as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (October, November 1959, as Starship Soldier) and published hardcover in 1959. ... The M1911 is a single action, semi-automatic handgun, chambered for the . ... The M9 pistol The M9 pistol is a pistol of the U.S. military adopted in the 1980s. ... Several firearms with suppressors AR-15 with Gemtech baffle suppressor (ref) A suppressor (popularly but erroneously known as a silencer, because no suppressor silences a firearm completely), is a device attached to a firearm to reduce the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon. ... CAR-15 is a common name applied to many carbine variants of the Colt AR-15 rifle (adopted by the USA as the M16 rifle) in both military and civilian service. ... 24 is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American television series created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, and produced by Imagine Television. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... David Palmer may refer to: Dee Palmer, (born David Palmer in 1937), a British arranger and keyboardist David R. Palmer (born 1941), an American science fiction author David Palmer (American football), a former NFL wide receiver David Palmer (baseball) (born 1957), a baseball pitcher David Palmer (squash player) (born 1976... Assassin and Targeted killing redirect here. ... Because of both the secrecy of secret services and the controversial nature of the issues involved, there is some difficulty in separating the definitions of secret service, secret police, intelligence agency etc. ... Aaron Pierce is a fictional character on the television series 24, played by actor Glenn Morshower. ... Andre Drazen is a fictional character in the first season TV series 24. ... Glenn Morshower (born April 24, 1959 in Dallas, Texas) is a popular American character actor perhaps best known for his recurring role as Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce on the television drama 24. ... Željko Ivanek (born August 15, 1957) is a television, film, and stage actor. ... Specialist John Stebbins was a U.S. Army Ranger in the Battle of Mogadishu who was later convicted by court-martial of child molestation and rape in 1999 and sent to Fort Leavenworth for 30 years. ...

References

External links

• http://www.socnetcentral.com/vb
• Inquirer Philly
• Warlord thumbs down for Somalia film, BBC News 29 January 2002
• Medal of Honor Recipients on Film