The Hurt Locker Review

As I popped “The Hurt Locker” into the DVD player I was anxious. “Is it really as good as everyone says it is?” “Will it live up too all the critical success it has received?” After watching the film, the answer was simple: yes. From the very beginning it grabs its audience by the face and pulls them into the high tension situations that its characters live in. Dragging us at high speeds though desiccated deserts and urban combat zones where almost anything can happen at anytime it both enthralls us and finds the time for good old fashion drama. Masterful director Kathryn Bigelow has created the best movie thus far about our war in the Middle East, possibly the best ever, however only time can tell that fact.

For those who do not already know the film’s premise, it follows the story of a bomb squad located in Afghanistan. The squad’s members consist of Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty.) However, looking at the sum of the film's scenes one may not be to consider it much of story at all. It is not that it is incomprehensible, in fact it is extremely pertinent, but it seems to buck general tradition of storytelling. There is no constant, long term goal in the minds of the characters. It has a definite protagonist but the film is much less than solely about him. If I had to describe it I may have to say that it is about three men’s reaction to war they are involved in, and I’m not talking about their political reaction. However, looking back on it I feel that Bigelow (or Boal) couldn’t have chosen a better method in presenting this film. The character’s lack of purpose beyond defusing bombs allows the film to thoroughly explore both their high tension environment and its effect on their minds.

Complimenting its ability to explore, the film’s three main characters all contrast wildly to give a wide variety of viewpoints and reactions to the war. For instance, Specialist Eldridge is convinced that he will die before his rotation is over, and thus he is extremely afraid (after all, if “so many people have died already why not ?” Sergeant Sanborn is also scared; however he faces his opposition with courage and extreme level headedness. Staff Sergeant James however, seems to lack any fear, or caution for that matter, of the world he lives in. In fact, he every minute of it relishes. There is a quote in the beginning of film explaining Staff Sergeant James: "The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug." This quote hangs true in every way for James.

On a more technical note, I found the film, and I have no doubt that others will as well, uncannily suspenseful. Note when I say this that I am not talking about ironically predictable trashy suspense, but rather true suspense. When you know something is going to happen, you just don’t know when and to whom it will happen to. Even at that, the film will sometimes give us and the characters a sigh relief. It addition to being thoroughly entertaining, it gloriously avoids a political bias. It does not possess thinly veiled monologues or irritating end credit statistics. It neither villanizes Afghanistan nor patronizes our troops. Rather, it simply gives us an unwavering glimpse into the lives of our soldiers.