The Hurt Locker Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

"If I'm gonna die, I want to die comfortable."

Premiering at the 2008 Venice Film Festival, 'The Hurt Locker' received a ten minute standing ovation at the end of its screening. Subject to much critical praise, the film will finally reach British shores with its theatrical release in August 2009. Few films about the conflict in Iraq or Afghanistan have managed to capture the essence of what it means to be fighting in a country where anyone and everyone is a potential enemy, and the understandable stresses that places on the human mind and body. With a highly realistic aesthetic and almost non-stop tension 'The Hurt Locker' allows us mere mortals a glimpse of what it really means to fight for your country.

Opening with a regular day for an 'Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit' (bomb squad to you and me) the film starts as it means to go on with a very sudden and violent end for one of the team. Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner) is moved in to replace the lost soldier, and he is quick to prove to his fellow team members that he is a lot less concerned with his own safety then his predecessor. This is aptly shown when he suits up in the 'bomb suit' to investigate a suspected device personally rather than send in the bomb disposal robot first. Understandably his new colleagues aren't impressed, particularly Sergeant J.T. Sandborn (Anthony Mackie) who has trouble adjusting to a team leader who takes his earpiece out whenever the word “withdraw” is mentioned. The last member of the team, Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), is also disturbed by the change in the team, but is too busy dealing with his own guilt over the death that brought James into their unit to really get worked up about him.

With the characters established the story takes us through a selection of the incidents the unit have to deal with during their rotation, not least of which is a sniper shoot out in the Iraqi desert, which is so painfully accurate it’s almost uncomfortable. Kathryn Bigelow (director of “Strange Days” and “Point Break” among others) amps up the tension in every scene of the conflict, keeping the audience not only on the edge of their seat but at times making them fall off it, and making you question if these highly likable characters are going to make it.

Excellent performances round out an almost perfect film, with believable dialogue and very naturalistic acting from not only the leads but the supporting cast and the extras, many of whom were genuine Iraqis living in Jordan, where the film was made. Combined with the camera work, that resembles embed journalist film rather than Hollywood shots, “The Hurt locker” amounts to a fantastic film experience, that still manages to not trivialise its subject matter, and will leave audiences wondering – “is it wrong that I don’t want this to end?”

Send us all to Jesus

I was fortunate to se this movie at a screening attended by both the director and writer with a Q&A afterwards. This is by far the best movie released this year.

It really is superb, I judged high marks given to it by critics as hype, I was expecting a macho stereo type, all American hero come in and save the day type action movie, with style over substance and with little or no regard for story telling or character development. Thank god I was proved wrong, to my great relief, I was deeply moved by the journey and emotional roller coaster of the characters, finally a movie on the subject of conflict which is intelligent, engaging, non political. A brilliantly written script combined with a highly skilled and talented director, for me a collaboration on par with Powell & Pressburger. I'm looking forward to future projects these two are planning together.