.
The Hurt Locker achieves something that few war, or even action, films can: complete immersion. This is in large part thanks to a very authentic production and solid performances all around. Mark Boal based the script on his time spent with a bomb squad in Baghdad, and director Kathryn Bigelow chose to shoot in Jordan because of its close proximity to Iraq. Tension and realism fill nearly every inch of the film.A U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit comprised of three men stands as the focal point. When a mission goes wrong and the group's leader (played by Guy Pearce) is killed in action, Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) steps in for the remaining 38 days of tour. His seemingly recklessness behavior, however, strains his relationship with the unit (Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty), who are already shaken by the pressures of combat. Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Evangeline Lilly also show up in small, well acted roles.
Rather than following a conventional war narrative, The Hurt Locker has more of a documentary structure. It boils down to about a half dozen set pieces that feature either a bomb that needs to be disarmed or a related conflict that the three protagonists run into. It's a simple film. But allowing the unit to remain at the center really works wonders here.
The combination of following a small group of characters and active cinematography by Barry Ackroyd portrays an experience that is stunningly realistic. Characters feel real, making the constant life or death situations extremely suspenseful. In this way, The Hurt Locker works well just on the level of an action film. But it is once the bombs are disarmed and conflict has ceased that the greater struggle is revealed. As the film warns early, "war is a drug." The Hurt Locker is action-driven, intense, affecting, and so far one of the best films of 2009.
9 comments:
Now that the Academy Awards have 10 nominees for Best Picture, The Hurt Locker has a great shot at being nominated.
There's another film based on the war in Iraq coming out later this year called Green Zone. Its directed by Paul Greengrass and is also trying to get a very authentic look at the war. Should be interesting to see how to compares with THL in that respect.
I need to see this. Reviews are all so positive.
Nice review. I need to see this movie badly!
-ssp0929
I saw this and this is my favorite so far in the year!
Awesome! I definitely think The Hurt Locker is going to pick up some great momentum when the awards season rolls around.
Which of the sequences was your favorite, Dan?
My favorite was the one where James needs to disarm the car that has the trunk full of bombs, and then proceeds to enter the car to find where the wires lead to. By far the tensest scene... and a lot of good moments from the other two in the squad.
I agree, hope it does pick up some nominations. Hmm, my favorite scene could be the first one, just so evocative of what our going to deal with in the movie, just sets everything up well. The entire British and sniper sequence was really great. One of my favorite things the movie does well is the whole beckam scenario, thinking that he was dead but was not.
The character thought he died but soon becomes angry and obsessed in the thought he could be wrong. I liked it because we did not know if he was dead or not. The way the director evoked the sense that 'we know what they know' mentality is present throughout the entire film, is a breath of fresh air.
I actually thought that the dead kid was his friend the entire time. One thing that was a little easier to predict was the death of Colonel Cambridge after Eldridge basically guilted him into coming on for a bomb disarm instead of just sitting behind his desk all day.
Yeah, that was simpler to spot and was terrible for eldridge since he no longer cared.
Post a Comment