Up until now, it seemed impossible to make a “”beautiful”” war movie. How can blood, guts, desperation, fear, adrenaline and sheer intensity be made aesthetically pleasing? Enter Ridley Scott’s latest work, “”Black Hawk Down.””

In 1993, the East African country of Somalia suffered from one of the worst famines in global history. Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid held a death grip on the nation, which would only begin to loosen under the combined forces of the American elite Delta Force and Rangers in addition to United Nation peacekeeping troops.

“”Black Hawk Down”” is the vivid retelling of a seemingly simple mission to capture two of Aidid’s top lieutenants. The mission appeared straightforward — estimated time: one hour, tops.

Once on the ground, however, miscalculations became horrendous life-and-death situations, and men who thought they’d be back to base for dinner found themselves taking heavy fire from hostile Somali militia.

As the mission begins to formulate, we realize that Staff Sgt. Matt Eversmann (Josh Hartnett) is our go-to man. While the other soldiers are goofing around, Eversmann plays it cool, taking his responsibility as “”chalk”” leader seriously. Yet at the same time, he embodies what every man is feeling, fear, but is also eager to fulfill his duties.

Sam Shepard as Major General William F. Garrison seems like he never left his role as a fighter pilot from “”The Right Stuff.”” As he sits in the command office watching his men suffer, we can’t help but sympathize with his helplessness.

As the helicopters lift off and the all-American phrase “”Let’s roll!”” is shouted over the radio, the visual beauty of the movie kicks in. War assaults the senses — touch, sight and sound — yet somehow Scott manages to distort all three.

Each frame of “”Black Hawk Down”” is so colorfully sharp that there is little room for gray area. Scott also plays with the sound, giving us a poignant scene when the helicopters zoom toward their targets. The sound is turned off and we are left with the quiet serenity of the Indian Ocean, a sharp juxtaposition to the chaos that awaits the soldiers.

The scenery of the movie is clipped and the strictly militaristic dialogue is brusque as well. Because a majority of the dialogue is delivered over the radio waves, it’s no wonder the messages are garbled and mistakes are made.

The desolate aerial views mask the chaos of the citys streets and the perils that the soldiers face around each turn. The use of extras in “”Black Hawk Down”” is especially powerful because they simultaneously demonstrate the sheer power of mob violence and mass weapon distribution.

It’s hard to pinpoint where the power of “”Black Hawk Down”” really lies. While a tremendous job is done capturing each individual’s spirit on film as he pulls a trigger or helps a wounded buddy, the strength of the film is found in watching a 21st century war live. “”Black Hawk Down”” is real — it happened. And it’s happening again. Let’s roll.

Black Hawk Down

****

Starring Josh Hartnett and Sam Shepard

In theaters Jan. 18

Rated R