Film editing as a tool for historical revisionism: The case of Black Hawk down

Abstract

This paper describes the editing strategies used in the film Black Hawk Down in order to correct North American viewer's impression on the Battle of Mogadishu. Its editing style forces the audience to share the rangers experience and principles, and stresses on the ethics and professionalism of US soldiers so as to transform a military debacle into an ethical triumph. This study presents the underlying role of film editing when defining (or redefining) the audience's impression of a historical event. The methodological approach is based on Eisenstein theories and key concepts.