An expert gives Scott has tapped into different places and times in history, bringing forth thought-provoking masterpieces based on true stories. However, he has also run into issues when it comes to accuracy.

For example, the director's 2021 medieval drama The Last Duel, starring Jodie Comer, Adam Driver, Matt Damon, and others, is set in 14th-century . Based on Eric Jager's book of the same name, the film explores one of the last duels fought in involving a woman's reputation and the fate of three people. Similarly, Scott drew inspiration from real life when conjuring his 2000 Oscar-winning epic Gladiator, set in ancient Rome, though the fictitious main plot and fantastic elements drew criticism from historians.

Ridley Scott's War Movie Black Hawk Down Is Mostly Historically Accurate

Black Hawk Down Received A 9/10 Rating From A War Expert

Based on journalist Mark Bowden's book, Scott's 2001 war movie Black Hawk Down tells the story of 160 elite U.S. soldiers who were dropped into Mogadishu in 1993 by Black Hawk helicopters on a mission to destabilize the Somali government and bring aid to the starving population. Scott took the testimonials of many surviving soldiers and weaved their stories into his big-screen adaptation. In 2002, it was nominated for four Academy Awards and was the winner in two categories.

Now, former U.S. Army Special Forces and Delta Force operator Bob Keller has rated Black Hawk Down for realism in an Insider video. Keller broke down several scenes in the movie, explaining in detail that nearly every operation and explosion was "legit" and realistic, giving the film a "solid nine" out of 10 for accuracy. The only thing that struck him as odd was that, in real life, they would use the term "Xfill" for "extraction." Check out his comment below:

Pretty much legit, Black Hawk Down, and it was actually depicting an actual mission that went down in Mogadishu. They're going in to actually grab HVI, which is a highly valuable individual unit, that's what we do. For the unit, I would say if people don't know what it is, it's the next step up. You want more. You want more assaults, and you want to be better at hostage rescues, that's where you go.

Working together? Absolutely, we would use the ranger battalions or ranger battalion when we went into new missions for like our blocking positions. Do we do that all the time? It's very seldom that there's a mission that big that we would use the ranger battalion with us, but it has happened. Yeah, and it happened. The 160 pilots and their helicopters. That's something that we only use these guys, so that's 100% legit in this scene.

The only thing that caught my ear, they call, like "extraction." We say, "Xfill," but I guess if you're extracting someone, it would make sense with RPG coming up on your side, so 100% possible.

What This Means For Black Hawk Down

Ridley Scott Didn't Take Black Hawk Down's Story Lightly

Scott's war epic – which stars Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Jason Isaacs, Tom Hardy, Orlando Bloom, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, among many others – has been praised by military experts before for its realistic depiction of the battle. While it's known for its accuracy in telling what went down from the American soldiers' perspective, the film is often criticized for not providing enough context about the war. However, it didn't stop Scott from pursuing his ion for historical dramas.

Scott's other historical dramas include The Duellists (1977), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), and Kingdom of Heaven (2005).

Black Hawk Down holds a special place in Scott's filmography, even though the director didn't go home with a Best Director win for the feature. In 2025, the director's production company, Ridley Scott Associates, revisited the battle of Mogadishu through a three-part documentary titled Surviving Black Hawk Down that gives voice to the soldiers and the Somali people to explore what actually happened. The realism Scott achieved in his Oscar winner wasn't by accident. It's proof of his investment and commitment to the survivors.

How Ridley Scott Made Black Hawk Down So Accurate

The Actors Went Through Extensive Preparation

First and foremost, Ridley Scott's film features a high degree of accuracy because of its source material, the 1999 non-fiction book Black Hawk Down by journalist Mark Bowden, which was adapted to the screen by Ken Nolan. For the book, Bowden conducted thorough research into U.S. Army records, interviewed individuals from both sides of the conflict, examined footage from observation aircraft, and listened to radio transmission recordings. A significant portion of the details regarding Delta Force operations for the book came from actual Delta Force member Paul R. Howe, who inspired William Fichtner's character, SFC Jeff Sanderson, in the film.

Many of the actors formed strong connections with the soldiers who trained them and felt a deep sense of responsibility to portray their stories accurately.

The Black Hawk Down cast also went through extensive preparation to portray their roles. To enhance military realism, the actors portraying Rangers participated in a one-week familiarization course at Fort Benning, while those playing Delta Force underwent a two-week commando course with the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at Fort Bragg. Ron Eldard and the other actors portraying 160th SOAR helicopter pilots received briefings from captured aviator Michael Durant at Fort Campbell. The U.S. Army also provided the equipment and helicopters for the film from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

Many of the actors formed strong connections with the soldiers who trained them and felt a deep sense of responsibility to portray their stories accurately, partly out of respect for the men who lost their lives in the Mogadishu firefight. This commitment to authenticity is reflected in the film's immersive realism, which has resonated with both military personnel and audiences alike. Ridley Scott and his cast's dedication to telling the story truthfully has allowed Black Hawk Down to endure as one of the most accurate and respectful depictions of modern warfare in cinema.

Source: Insider