Black Hawk Down
Black Hawk Down mistake picture

Continuity mistake: Grimes gets handed a death letter and he holds it up. Camera changes and his arm and the letter are not in sight, which they should be at that angle. (00:29:00)

Ssiscool

Continuity mistake: When Randy Shugart and Gary Gordon arrive to defend the downed chopper, Shugart is shooting his rifle as a right-hander, but in one short sequence as they're pulling Mike Durant to cover he is shooting as a left-hander. The shot has obviously been reversed as the bolt of the M14 and the height adjustment knob on the aim point optic are on the wrong side of the rifle. (01:29:00)

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Suggested correction: You can see him change shoulders as he goes back into the building.

Steve Kozak

The mistake is valid. He's shooting with the rifle against his right shoulder and you can see the flag patch on his right shoulder. In the next shot, after the guy is pulled out, the rifle is against his left shoulder and he turns, he doesn't change shoulders as the rifle is still against his left shoulder after he turns. However, there is no longer a flag patch on his right shoulder, meaning the shot was flipped as indicated.

Bishop73

Continuity mistake: When Blackburn is reporting for duty, he asks what it's like. Grimes then puts his hands out, palm down. Camera changes and his fists are now clenched with no time to clench them. (00:11:30)

Ssiscool

Other mistake: During Mike Durant's capture the helicopter circling overhead that broadcasts "Mike Durant we won't leave you behind!" is the voice of Tom Sizemore who plays Col. McKnight - it even says so in close captioning." Col. McKnight was in the streets of Mogadishu engaged in battle at that time. (01:44:45)

Factual error: In the movie the first Black Hawk helicopter (Super 6-1) gets shot down and just so happens to crash in a large four-way intersection. In the actual battle, Super 6-1 crashed in a narrow alleyway. (00:49:45)

Ferreri

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Suggested correction: many changes were made to factual accounts when converting the book to film. This is simply what has happened here.

Ssiscool

Pilla: Colonel, they're shooting at us! Colonel, they're shooting at us!
McKnight: Well shoot back!

More quotes from Black Hawk Down

Trivia: According to veterans of the actual event, when the Rangers got the go-ahead for the mission and were getting their gear ready, "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N Roses was playing on the base's loudspeakers. There were some half-serious comments among the men about the appropriateness of this song. However, the film's producers failed to secure the rights to use "Welcome to the Jungle," so they substituted Faith No More's "Falling to Pieces"--which is perhaps thematically in line with what happened on the raid. (00:27:28)

rbryant73

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Question: In the scene where Eversmann is briefing his team ready for them to gear up and go out, he says something like "sorry ass JROTC". What does JROTC stand for? (00:26:00)

The-Immortal

Answer: Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps is an elective course offered by many high schools, and taught by retired Commissioned and Warrant Officers, and retired senior noncommissioned officers. They do learn military drill and ceremonies, but not tactics and techniques of combat. The goal is to produce a well-rounded high school graduate who can enlist in the military at a higher pay grade. The joke, or derision, has to do with JROTC cadets who can March and salute.

Chosen answer: Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp. You have JROTC in high school and ROTC in college. It's a way of getting a commission in the military early on. It's often not looked fondly upon by officers who came up through the enlisted ranks first.

Grumpy Scot

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