I have, somewhat late, finally seen this movie “The Hurt Locker” In fact, I wasn't much familiar with director Kathryn Bigelow's work prior to watching Hurt Locker, but I am now a convert. She directed a brilliant and visceral Iraq war movie, which unlike many of its peers, is also apolitical. If you can look past the hype and the inconsistencies this movie brings forth, you'll find The Hurt Locker is a heart-pounding, nerve-wracking war drama that does not let you go until the very end.
The movie follows three members of Bravo Company's Explosive Ordanance Disposal (EOD) squad, as they struggle to finish the last few days of their yearlong tour of duty. Everyone copes differently; Specialist Eldridge (Geraghty) is overwhelmed at times with the death that surrounds them, Staff Sergeant James (Renner) is addicted to the rush of battle, and Sergeant Sanborn (Mackie) supports James as best he can. James is a complex, fascinating and tragic character; he's extremely competent, yet eccentric and even reckless to the point where his teammates consider fragging him in order to make it back alive. In a thoughtful gesture, he respects the work of his adversaries and keeps all the trigger mechanisms of bombs he has defused in the past. Every engagement the soldiers experience until their departure affects them, and we see every emotional impact.
The movie is not in any way a film extolling the virtues of American soldiers abroad. There were only a couple of flags and there was no great adulation of the U.S. or any scenes of Iraqi's expressing obsequious gratitude. In many ways it isn't even a military film. The men are portrayed as men who doing a job. It is also not about military camaraderie. In fact, the men do not really like one another, but they suck up their differences for the sake of the team. It could be any job or sport's team, but the stakes for not following through in this case are high death.
Overall, The Hurt Locker is highly enjoyable and worth watching, it is not overly preachy or pure action, but manages to strike its own ground. The scenes are gritty, shaky; thankfully the shaky cam/documentary style footage is tastefully done here. The movie was filmed on location in Jordan, lending to the film's authenticity and immersivity. The viewer can almost taste the dust in the air, and feel the stares from the unwelcoming populace.
The movie follows three members of Bravo Company's Explosive Ordanance Disposal (EOD) squad, as they struggle to finish the last few days of their yearlong tour of duty. Everyone copes differently; Specialist Eldridge (Geraghty) is overwhelmed at times with the death that surrounds them, Staff Sergeant James (Renner) is addicted to the rush of battle, and Sergeant Sanborn (Mackie) supports James as best he can. James is a complex, fascinating and tragic character; he's extremely competent, yet eccentric and even reckless to the point where his teammates consider fragging him in order to make it back alive. In a thoughtful gesture, he respects the work of his adversaries and keeps all the trigger mechanisms of bombs he has defused in the past. Every engagement the soldiers experience until their departure affects them, and we see every emotional impact.
The movie is not in any way a film extolling the virtues of American soldiers abroad. There were only a couple of flags and there was no great adulation of the U.S. or any scenes of Iraqi's expressing obsequious gratitude. In many ways it isn't even a military film. The men are portrayed as men who doing a job. It is also not about military camaraderie. In fact, the men do not really like one another, but they suck up their differences for the sake of the team. It could be any job or sport's team, but the stakes for not following through in this case are high death.
Overall, The Hurt Locker is highly enjoyable and worth watching, it is not overly preachy or pure action, but manages to strike its own ground. The scenes are gritty, shaky; thankfully the shaky cam/documentary style footage is tastefully done here. The movie was filmed on location in Jordan, lending to the film's authenticity and immersivity. The viewer can almost taste the dust in the air, and feel the stares from the unwelcoming populace.
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