Ridley Scott directed Black Hawk Down, a war film based on the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden. The film was produced between March and July 2001 and premiered in the United States shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Known for its realistic portrayal of combat, Black Hawk Down has influenced both filmmakers and game designers. Mark Bowden, who co-wrote the screenplay, said the film is "extraordinarily faithful to reality." However, Scott chose not to include the political context, the perspective of Somalis, or the negative consequences of the mission, which Bowden called a "political disaster." Scott explained that he wanted to show "the anatomy of a modern war" and described the film as "a clinical film, as close to a documentary as possible." Bowden noted that the film focused on the experiences of American soldiers, saying, "we decided that would be the heart of the film." Scott also aimed to show that the enemy had a logical reason for fighting. The film opens with a quote often attributed to Plato: "Only the dead have seen the end of war." However, this phrase is actually from George Santayana, who wrote it in 1922 in Soliloquies in England and Later Soliloquies, specifically in a passage titled Tipperary. Santayana's quote expresses a pessimistic view of war as an ongoing part of the human experience. The misattribution to Plato is common, possibly due to confusion with Santayana's other famous quote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," which was featured in Oliver Stone's film JFK. The phrase has been used in various films, speeches, and military books, including the war memorial at the Imperial War Museum in London. Scott's decision to focus on the soldiers' perspective and omit broader political and cultural contexts has sparked discussion about how war is portrayed in media. While the film is praised for its realism and attention to detail, critics argue that it provides a limited view of the conflict. This approach reflects a broader trend in war films that often prioritize the experiences of military personnel over the perspectives of civilians or the political dimensions of war. The use of Santayana's quote, despite the misattribution, highlights how certain phrases become deeply embedded in cultural memory. While the origin of the quote may be debated, its message continues to resonate in discussions about war and history. This illustrates how media and public discourse can shape the way people understand and remember historical events, even when the details are not entirely accurate.