Black Hawk Down (2001) - 50 mistakes

Audio problem: when Gordon and Shughart go to the 2nd crash site and Gordon knocks on Durants cockpit door, he asks him 'how bad' then fires his rifle. The problem is that 2 cartridges are ejected but there is only one shot heard.

Continuity: When they call for a stretcher for Blackburn, the stretcher is half folded up. The camera cuts and it is now fully open.

Factual error: In the movie, the stranded ground force calls in a gun run by Little Bird helicopters by having a Ranger post an infrared marker inside an enemy position to designate the target. This is the only time the attack helicopters are shown actively supporting the defending troops at the crash site. However, it is COMPLETELY absurd and unrealistic(not to mention suicidal) to mark enemy positions in this manner. What actually happened was that the markers were placed around the perimeter of the defender's position for the pilots, who made anything outside of it fair game. Also, the Little Birds provided CONTINUOUS air support with their miniguns and rockets through to the following morning, which is credited by US forces and Somalis alike as being the main thing preventing the Rangers from being overrun and wiped out.

Other: During the scene when Pilla is killed there is a sniper on the roof of a building firing an AK-47 at the vehicles. If you look at his hands you'll notice they are caucasian. The other Somalis are black.

Revealing: At the end of the movie, where Sgt. Eversman talks to the dead Corporal Jamie Smith about Blackburn, he says he's gonna talk to Smith's parents when he gets home. When Eversman places his hand on the chest of Smith, you can see his eyelids move.

Factual error: After Blackburn has fallen, Eversmann asks to call Steele. But actually it was Perino who he was talking to, when this fight happened.

Factual error: In the movie, the Rangers and Delta operators defending the crash site are engaged by several 'technicals' (pick-up trucks with crew served weapons mounted) including one with a recoilless rifle directed by the Somali 'head honcho'. Also, several technicals seem to (somewhat implausibly) spring from the woodwork as they flee the city on foot... However, during the entire course of the actual battle, there was never a SINGLE mention of the pinned down forces being engaged by such vehicles and the Rambo-style capture of the recoilless rifle was a comical fabrication.

Factual error: After the scene with Mike Durant and his captors there is a shot of a helicopter circling the city and broadcasting the message "Mike Durant, we won't leave you behind." This did happen, but in the days after the battle, not that same night when all the other soldiers were stuck in the city too. The commanders don't even know that Durant has been taken prisoner yet, in fact at this stage they probably thought he was dead. (This is deliberately changed for the film, but still a factual error.)

Continuity: When the soldiers first go into the town in the helicopters, one of the helicopters lands on a roof. The camera cuts away for a split second, but when it comes back to the helicopter that landed on the roof, the blades have stopped moving completely within that one second.

Continuity: When Mr. Atto offers the General a cigar, the cigars in his cigar holder switch places.

Continuity: One scene shows a Blackhawk being called into the fray from circling the city. The first outside shot shows no one inside the bay then the next shot it's full of soldiers and guys sitting with their legs dangling out.

Continuity: After the failed femoral artery surgery attempt, that soldier slowly dies. When he finally stops breathing the medic jumps in to do CPR. The soldier dies with a blank stare, but during the shots of the medic doing CPR the dead man's eyes are closed.

Other: In one scene a pair of soldiers cut off from the main body of troops are trying to link up with some of their comrades. When the camera zooms in for a close-up of the soldier carrying an M-60 machine gun, the weapon appears to be loaded with a belt of blank rounds.

Revealing: Just after Jamie 'Smitty' Smith has passed away due to being shot in the thigh, the medic starts CPR. The camera cuts from the medic to Smitty and you can see his eyes move.

Factual error: The scene where a soldier is calling to his wife and the machine answers is impossible, because there is a time difference of about 9 or 10 hours between Somalia and USA, it should be dark and everybody sleeping.

Visible crew/equipment: When McKnight's convoy rolls away from the scene where the Delta guy got his legs blown off, there is an explosion right next to one of the Humvees. You can see a small pile of dirt and the supposed grenade or RPG explodes exactly in the middle of it. Seems like it is an explosive charge that was deployed in the dirt bump for security reasons.

Continuity: When Dan Busch, one of the Delta operators on board Super Six One, is defending himself after the crash he has no goggles over his helmet. Then on longer shots he has goggles over his helmet, then there are a couple more cuts to close shots of him where he again does not have the goggles.

Continuity: In the scene where the 3 Humvee column is making there way back to the base with the injured Blackburn, Dominick Pilla is killed whilst operating the .50 cal. Shortly after, Eric Bana (Hoot) takes over the gun and begins to return fire on Somalis on the rooftops. In the first shots of him shooting, he is wearing gloves. However in the next shot of his hands on the weapon, they are bare with no gloves.

Factual error: In the first few scenes of the movie, Muslims are shown praying towards the east, proven by the sunrise they are facing. But the holy city of Mecca would be to the north, northwest of Somalia, not to the east as it is from in North America.

Visible crew/equipment: In the scene where the Ranger driving the Humvee is hit by the unexploded RPG, the closeup of his midsection clearly shows (although VERY briefly!) the black special effects gaffer tape that secures the special effects charge.