The Hurt Locker

Since the Iraq war (am I supposed to be calling it a “war”?) started, there have been a number of films made about it. Strangely, not all of these Iraq war movies actually take place in Iraq (ie The Kingdom), but it is the underlying themes of a post 9/11 world, of a world where it is us against the brown people. The setting isn’t fooling anyone. They’re all about Iraq and we know it. From action movies to dramas, and a good amount of documentaries, plenty of directors have tried their hand at making a successful and enjoyable (read: good) Iraq war movie, and so far all of them failed. The best piece of media made about the war has been HBO’s Generation Kill, which aptly captured the monotony of war and the people who fight in it. Of course, this is a mini-series and it was also done by The Wire alum’s Simmons/Burns, so it doesn’t count.

Imagine my suprise when we finally get a great movie about the Iraq war, and it’s directed by a woman. Yes, you read that right. Women are directing movies now. And not just movies about cooking or stoned girls who fall in love with shiny lesbian vampires, but war movies. All sexist jokes aside, The Hurt Locker is a great movie because of Kathryn Bigelow’s direction. The script, while good, is not anything special, while the movie itself is.

The film is shot in “doc style”, or “shaky cam” for general audiences, a style that I have bashed on this site multiple times. Those times I was lamenting how the style was not being used properly, whileit works perfectly for THL. It creates a realistic and gritty tone for the film and ratchets up the intensity during the action scenes, which feel unbelievably real due to the way they are shot and choreographed. This style can be off-putting to some, but the movie would not be what it is without the shaky cam. Bigelow also does a great job of balancing moods throughout the film. It will change from joking to danger, from calm to chaos, in seconds. This could be jarring in another setting, but since this is a war film, these rapid changes keep the audience on edge the same way that the characters are.

Bigelow’s direction of the actors is also great, but it helps that she has some (underrated) talent to work with. Jeremy Renner has been number one on my “Deserves to be a Bigger Star” list since 2003 when he was the bad guy inSWAT, and he will be again if there isn’t some big casting news before the list is released. Just one look at the guy and I saw “action star” written all over him. He proved it again in 28 Weeks Later, where he actually got to play the good guy was awesome. Now he gets to play a soldier again, but this time he also gets to show off his dramatic range (he’s done that in other things, but never as a leading man). Renner’s William James is an EOD (Expolosive Ordinance Division) bomb technician sent to Bravo company with 39 days left in the rotation. James is a cowboy adrenaline junky and there is no one better suited to play this part then Renner. With a perfect combination of bravado and vulnerability, Renner delivers a one of the most satisfying character arcs I’ve seen in a long time. There isn’t enough praise that can be given to Renner for this performance, and he deserves to be on screen with Sam Rockwell at this year’s Oscars. Although the majority of screen time is allotted to Renner, Anthony Mackie delivers an equally impressive supporting role. I did not understand what the hype was surronding Mackie’s performance until he has his “Oscar moment” later in the film.

The main reason that the movie works so well is because it doesn’t have an agenda or an overwrought plot. Iraq is just the backdrop, not a topic. This is not a sweeping epic about the war. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of commentaries about war and soldiers, but every war movie has that. There is no bias in this movie, no message. This is just the story of Bravo company’s EOD and how they handle their last 39 days.

While this movie will definitely be categorized as a war film, it is also a character study that happens to take place during a war, similar to Apocalypse Now. The war is there, but it does not define the movie. The characters and the action define the movie, leading to a satisfying and poignant ending. The Hurt Locker is a brutally realistic, action packed, character driven film that instantly earns a spot amongst the all-time great war films.