A Ridley Scott's best movies. He followed up Alien with Blade Runner, another movie that would become a science-fiction classic. Scott made his mark on other genres in the ensuing years with a variety of hits, including the crime drama Thelma & Louise and the historical epic Gladiator.

In 2012, he directed his first Alien movie since the original with the divisive prequel Prometheus, along with directing its 2017 sequel Alien: Covenant. His 2015 movie The Martian was well-received and offered a more hopeful story within the science-fiction genre. Scott's enthusiasm for historical movies remained as strong as his enthusiasm for science-fiction with his direction of The Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Duel, Napoleon, and Gladiator II.

Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down Is Assessed For Accuracy

The Movie Is Based On The Black Hawk Down Incident

Scott's 2001 movie Black Hawk Down's cast included Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Tom Hardy, Jason Isaacs, and Orlando Bloom. The movie has a 76% Tomatometer score and 88% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Black Hawk Down won Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.

In a video with Insider, retired Green Beret David Harris breaks down a mostly realistic scene in Black Hawk Down. He focuses on the scene where the Black Hawk helicopter is shot down, both from the perspective of the shooters on the ground and from the perspective of the soldiers in the helicopter. Harris explains what backblast is and how the backblast depicted in the movie is accurate, as is the way the helicopter explosion is visually portrayed. He also addresses how the movie relied on military individuals present at the Battle of Mogadishu. Check out Harris' comments below:

He wasn't at a super-high elevation, so his backblast was fine. He didn't have anyone behind him, so no one was going to be messed up by the rocket actually taking off. For this scenario, most of the rockets everyone is shooting is going to have backblast, which is just the fire or the explosion of the round taking off. So the more elevation you put, the more fire that is going to come out and burn your legs. Or if someone's right behind you, they're going to eat all that blast of the rocket going off. You can stand directly on the sides and shoot rockets like that.

So the explosion shown in the scene hitting a helicopter is actually what it would look like. It wouldn't be like some big overwhelming fireball. Probably the reason that RPG was able to hit that is because it's pointfire, which means it doesn't have something that it's actually locking onto. It's just basically like a bullet. I point it in this direction and I fire at it, so it was harder to maneuver from.

I would rate Black Hawk Down on a scale of one to 10 for realism, a nine. They pulled in a lot of resources from military guys that were there. I know they use rangers who actually do the fast rope.

Our Take On David Harris' Comments

He Highlights One Of Black Hawk Down's Greatest Strengths

Not all the events of Black Hawk Down are accurate with what really happened during the Battle of Mogadishu, but Harris' expert analysis highlights how the 2001 movie is a powerful commentary on war. Scott's direction is an unflinching portrayal of war's horrific, brutal realities. The realism in how firearms are used, along with explosions, adds to how these terrifying realities are shown. While many movies glorify war, Scott is intent on showing how war is appalling to all involved parties.

How Does Black Up Down Fare Against Ridley Scott's Other Movies?

It's Underrated, But Doesn't Live Up To His Best Movies

Black Hawk Down does not have as strong of a legacy as some of the director's other movies, especially where Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator are concerned. Alien is a defining science-fiction horror movie, spawning a long-running and highly successful franchise. Blade Runner is just as important to science-fiction movies, with its visual aesthetic setting a precedent that has inspired countless movies since. Gladiator is similarly influential in the evolution of historical epics, and Maximus Decimus Meridius remains the most iconic role in Russell Crowe's impressive career.

The imagery is haunting and, from start to finish, the movie displays Scott's technical skills and the strength of visceral, unforgettable cinematography.

While Black Hawk Down cannot reach the heights of Alien, Blade Runner, or Gladiator, it is arguably one of Scott's best movies after these three. Many of Scott's movies feature violent spectacle, but while some romanticize it, Black Hawk Down is committed to fully showcasing the horrors of war. The imagery is haunting and, from start to finish, the movie displays Scott's technical skills and the strength of visceral, unforgettable cinematography.

Black Hawk Down has a strong, star-studded ensemble cast, but one area where it does falter is that it is light on meaningful character development. In addition to Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator, many other Scott movies, including Thelma & Louise and The Martian, have far more compelling arcs for their characters. Nevertheless, Black Hawk Down is often underrated during discussion of Ridley Scott's impressive filmography.

Source: Insider