Kathryn Bigelow's 'The Hurt Locker' a war-themed winner
Published Aug. 28, 2009
Despite Hollywood's relationship with its subject matter, "The Hurt Locker" is its own kind of beast. Most movies that tackle the Iraq War are met with disgust or, more commonly, apathy. Director Kathryn Bigelow, her camera crew, and the relative newcomers in the leading roles all hit the ground running with the force of a freight train and the energy of a 5-year-old drinking Red Bull. The vigor shows, and from the opening scene to the closing credits, it's a balls-to-the-wall adrenaline rush.
"The Hurt Locker" opens to the sound of a pulsating, swelling heartbeat that plays under our introduction to the men of the Bravo Company's Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or bomb squad unit. The prophetic heartbeats trumpet the arrival of a real live wire. They aren't kidding — this will get intense.
From the get-go there are no politics, just an up close and personal study of the men in the Bravo bomb squad. We are introduced to Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and the young Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), who see their team leader disintegrate during a mission in the opening sequence. Enter Staff Sergeant William James, played by knockout Jeremy Renner. During the first half of the film, character development is mostly foregone for action sequences, and the great actors are limited to tried and true army clichés (Sgt. Seen-It-All Mackie spars with cocky, wise-cracking new guy Renner). But, boy, what action!
Bigelow puts you right in the missions and to say it's a nail biter is an understatement. The film was shot on location in Jordan and the familiar heat-baked desert ambience clashes brilliantly with claustrophobic close-ups. Big explosions are used sparingly, but perfectly so most of the heart stopping suspense is induced by nerve-wracking proximity.
When the film opens, the Bravo squad has only 40 days left of operation. As the days wind down, the characters show appropriate wear, tear and derangement. As they let their guard down to each other, we get a more complete picture of who they are and what the war means to them. All three give convincing performances, but we are best introduced to Staff Sgt. James, who of course isn't as tough and together as he comes off. His relationship with a local Iraqi boy who sells him a bootleg DVD is at once touching and heartbreaking, and Renner's ability to make the audience laugh, hyperventilate or cry is really something to cheer for.
Still, the real breakout here is Bigelow's direction. The gripping cinematography is pitch-perfect, very often providing all the thrills of an amusement park ride. During the missions in the confines of a Baghdad square, Sgt. Sanborn scopes out all possible vantage points for who could hold the trigger for the active explosives. Bigelow adds these touches of paranoia and claustrophobia throughout the missions, and every scene becomes a visceral attack of excitement, fear and suspense. The film itself becomes a kind of ticking bomb.
This is certainly not your grandpa's war movie. The knock out camera work, bang-up performances and knock-down-drag-out action elevate "The Hurt Locker" to the must-see movie of the summer. I'm still trying to catch my breath.