Any self-respecting epic reflecting on historical events, whether it’s set in the recent or distant past, tends to assemble a deep bench of big-name talent to round out the cast. Looking back, though, few have gathered an array quite as vast as that brought together for Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, which is overflowing with past, present, and future stars in almost every role.
The pulse-pounding dramatization of a 1993 mission in Somalia that found American troops pinned down on the ground and facing insurmountable odds won strong notices from critics after releasing in December 2001, ultimately bringing in $173 million at the box office before landing a quartet of Academy Award nominations.
It might not be the greatest cinematic depiction of conflict you’ll ever see, even if it is regularly stunning on a technical level, but the current conversation unfolding around Black Hawk Down focuses almost exclusively on the sheer strength of its featured players.
Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Ewen Bremner, Hugh Dancy, Ioan Gruffudd, Jason Isaacs, Tom Hardy, Orlando Bloom, Sam Shepard, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Kim Coates, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Glenn Morshower, Jeremy Piven, and Ty Burrell are just a small sampling of those to show up in roles that range from glorified cameos to key parts, which is a mind-blowing volume of talent when viewed through a modern lens.
It would be an understatement to say that director Scott has a knack for casting as his stellar career has displayed countless times over, but Black Hawk Down may boast his single finest lineup of talent in a single project, which is saying something when you consider who he’s worked with throughout his distinguished career.
Published: Oct 1, 2022 04:43 am