The Hurt Locker (2009)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow 
Story: Mark Boal
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty
Music: Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders
Time: 131 minutes
Bottom-line: A great war film; lots of suspense and tension 

Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar winning film based on the Iraq war is a terrific war story. Starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty in the lead roles, along with Ralph Fieness and Guy Pearce in supporting roles, this film portrays the Iraqi war from the eyes of three people in the bomb-disposal squad. Competing with other blockbusters that came in 2009, like Avatar and Inglorious Basterds, this film still managed to clinch the Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Best director.

The film shows Sergeant Sanborn (Mackie), Specialist Owen Eldridge (Geraghty) and Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson (Pearce) in Baghdad. Thompson gets killed when a radio-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) explodes. To replace him, veteran Sergeant First Class William James (Renner) arrives at Baghdad. (The remaining paragraph may contain spoilers) James’ casual and care-free method irritates Sanborn, who even goes as far as planning to detonate a bomb himself to kill James, and telling it was an accident. This disturbs Owen, though Sanborn doesn’t do anything. James forms a friendship with a small boy, whom he calls Beckham, who sells DVDs. James, while raiding a warehouse finds a boy with a boy that is surgically implanted. He thinks that the boy is Beckham, and vows to avenge him. The rest of the film is about whether James avenges the boy’s death, and the other adventures the three men have in Iraq, and how their lives change.

Renner (left) and Mackie

 This film portrays several challenges faced by the soldiers during the war. Bigelow shows how the squad struggles to disarm every bomb. Though, as viewers, we don’t know much, if not anything, about bomb disposal, we still feel the tension that is shown on the screen. That is where photography comes into play. Close-ups of the soldiers’ faces and close-ups of the bombs and the wires provide the suspense. The scene where the radio-controlled IED explodes and Thompson dies is shown in slow motion, and this produces a great effect. The location is well chosen. As Bigelow wanted the location to be authentic, she directed the film within three miles from the Iraqi border, somewhere in Jordan (source Wikipedia).  

Pearce (right) and Geragthy

The scene in the desert where the three of them battle a group of terrorists hiding in a house on the desert is very much suspenseful. Again, plenty of close-ups make the viewers also feel the heat. Unlike other action films where the bullet somehow always manages to hit the villain and the bullets never hit the hero, this film takes a more realistic look. Each and every gun shot is intense. You don’t know who is going to get hit. Similarly, the scene where James disarms about six bombs, all ties to each other, is also thrilling to see.

At the same time, there is no real story. Bigelow shows the way soldiers deal with several incidents, but that’s all is shown: several incidents one after another, like a documentary. This desert scene, though it shows another aspect of the war, doesn’t really add to the story. Of course, Boal was part of the bomb-disposal squad in Iraq, so he probably combined his experiences also, which is what makes this film like a documentary.

A famous scene from the film: James discovering six bombs ready to explode

Like Spielberg in Jaws, Bigelow also wanted to choose relatively lesser known actors for the lead roles. The actors have given their best. Renner is excellent in his role, displaying a cool and casual soldier, who is also very skilled at his job. Mackie and Geraghty have done well too. Renner plays a character for whom, fighting for the country is in his blood. Towards the end, he has a line which says, “…by the time you reach my age, you will love only one thing,” indicating his passion about his job.

 This film got Bigelow her Oscar for Best Director, and she became the first woman to get one. Unlike other 2009 films like Up, Inglorious Basterds and Avatar, this film is not so entertaining or funny in terms of thrills or jokes. Yet, this is my second best film of 2009, second to Up. Though Avatar became more popular at the box office because of Cameron’s already earned reputation, this film beats Avatar is all other ways except special effects.

To conclude, Kathryn Bigelow’s war film is a great one, in terms of the filming, acting and the suspense it gives. Don’t expect a proper story or continuous thrills, because as I said, this film only covers several incidents faced by the squad. Bigelow has done well to make the viewers feel the tension as well. Any war film fan should see this movie.

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%