With a suspenseful intensity that creates some of the most visceral memories of any film this year, THE HURT LOCKER is one of those movies that people couldn't be bothered with at the time of its release. Folks who missed it-myself included-will soon be clammoring to see what turns out to be one of the finest war films of the almost-finished decade, especially as THE HURT LOCKER begins to create the profile it never had this summer, thanks to a steady stream of awards and accolades.
The current conflict in Iraq has been the subject of some fantastic documentary films in the past few years, such as "Standard Operating Procedure," "Iraq in Fragments" and "No End in Sight," but fictional films on the subject have been mostly limited to homefront conflicts, such as "In the Valley of Elah." Not that I've seen every film made about the current military conflict, but I'd say that THE HURT LOCKER is easily one of the best war films of the decade. It's certainly the best about this military conflict, and joins "Black Hawk Down" and "Three Kings" as a time capsule to represent America's war efforts in the last 25 years.
Perhaps it might surprise some that behind the lens of this intense, suspenseful war film is a woman. Kathryn Bigelow, though, is an action film director, and one used to playing with the boys. Her hits like "Point Break" and "Strange Days" have not been awards fare, but that will change this year. I expect Bigelow to join the very elite club of Oscar-nominated female directors.
But enough about the background perspective...why should you see THE HURT LOCKER? For one thing, it contains a fantastic lead performance by Jeremy Renner, a virtual no-name starring as a specialist who diffuses bombs. He's brought in after the previous man on the job meets the fate that one would expect men in this position to be all too prone to, and this guy almost gives you the impression that his work and situation is fun.
So cocky is Staff Sgt. James (Renner) in his job that he defies orders, disconnects personal communication devices and fights his fellow soldiers for enjoyment. He'd be the loose cannon cop in a buddy movie (like Mel Gibson in "Lethal Weapon") if he wasn't also fully-aware of his situation - and good at it. James might be hard to relate to on some levels, but you know you want him by your side.
There are at least three sequences in the film (one at the beginning, one about a half-hour in and one near the end) that are heart-pounding, and Bigelow relies on the normally motion sickness-inducing and slightly cliched (for war films) tactic of shaky handheld camera work to add to the gravitas of what we're seeing. But Bigelow avoids MTV-style edits and camera trickery. In one very steady and memory-burning moment, she simply pulls the camera back to an overhead shot while James discovers that the wire he's tugging on is attached to not just one bomb, but many, each bomb ominously rising from the sand in unison around him at the urging of his steady and gentle pulling of the wire. It's a terrifying moment.
THE HURT LOCKER has a number of terrifying moments, from the off-putting way that Iraqi civilians (or maybe self-sacrificing terrorists) stand in plain view as the military bomb squad works, to the side-story investigation of the demise of a local boy to whom James has become attached. And to cement the sloppiness of this war and its unfinished business, the film's penultimate scene on the home front is note-perfect in its demonstration of how a soldier like James is actually more in his element at war than in the cereal aisle at the grocery store.
The world of film has done so much to capture some of the famous miltary conflicts in U.S. history. Bet on THE HURT LOCKER to join this list. It's intense.
4.0 out of 4
The current conflict in Iraq has been the subject of some fantastic documentary films in the past few years, such as "Standard Operating Procedure," "Iraq in Fragments" and "No End in Sight," but fictional films on the subject have been mostly limited to homefront conflicts, such as "In the Valley of Elah." Not that I've seen every film made about the current military conflict, but I'd say that THE HURT LOCKER is easily one of the best war films of the decade. It's certainly the best about this military conflict, and joins "Black Hawk Down" and "Three Kings" as a time capsule to represent America's war efforts in the last 25 years.
Perhaps it might surprise some that behind the lens of this intense, suspenseful war film is a woman. Kathryn Bigelow, though, is an action film director, and one used to playing with the boys. Her hits like "Point Break" and "Strange Days" have not been awards fare, but that will change this year. I expect Bigelow to join the very elite club of Oscar-nominated female directors.
But enough about the background perspective...why should you see THE HURT LOCKER? For one thing, it contains a fantastic lead performance by Jeremy Renner, a virtual no-name starring as a specialist who diffuses bombs. He's brought in after the previous man on the job meets the fate that one would expect men in this position to be all too prone to, and this guy almost gives you the impression that his work and situation is fun.
So cocky is Staff Sgt. James (Renner) in his job that he defies orders, disconnects personal communication devices and fights his fellow soldiers for enjoyment. He'd be the loose cannon cop in a buddy movie (like Mel Gibson in "Lethal Weapon") if he wasn't also fully-aware of his situation - and good at it. James might be hard to relate to on some levels, but you know you want him by your side.
There are at least three sequences in the film (one at the beginning, one about a half-hour in and one near the end) that are heart-pounding, and Bigelow relies on the normally motion sickness-inducing and slightly cliched (for war films) tactic of shaky handheld camera work to add to the gravitas of what we're seeing. But Bigelow avoids MTV-style edits and camera trickery. In one very steady and memory-burning moment, she simply pulls the camera back to an overhead shot while James discovers that the wire he's tugging on is attached to not just one bomb, but many, each bomb ominously rising from the sand in unison around him at the urging of his steady and gentle pulling of the wire. It's a terrifying moment.
THE HURT LOCKER has a number of terrifying moments, from the off-putting way that Iraqi civilians (or maybe self-sacrificing terrorists) stand in plain view as the military bomb squad works, to the side-story investigation of the demise of a local boy to whom James has become attached. And to cement the sloppiness of this war and its unfinished business, the film's penultimate scene on the home front is note-perfect in its demonstration of how a soldier like James is actually more in his element at war than in the cereal aisle at the grocery store.
The world of film has done so much to capture some of the famous miltary conflicts in U.S. history. Bet on THE HURT LOCKER to join this list. It's intense.
4.0 out of 4
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