Hurt Locker
I remember when the art of the War Movie was to make an oblique masterpiece where War itself was really a metaphor for the human condition, which resulted in such works as Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. Then, starting with Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, the idea was to take the genre and make it ultra-gritty and realistic, sucking the viewer in with the characters to make them part of the battles. Certainly last year’s Best Picture winner qualifies as that, at least on the surface but ultimately and subtly sucks you in to realize that it is in fact a character study of one man and his need to get his fix of being in the combat zone. As played by Best Actor Oscar Nominee Jeremy Renner, one is certainly inclined to resist him at first, as the bomb specialist he replaces (Guy Pierce) is so likable and cool with very limited screen time that after he’s blown to bits in the opening scene we wonder (like the other characters) if we can truly accept this guy as the de facto replacement. Renner shows us what he’s about though, as he displays a reckless, crazy style in going in to defuse bombs strewn in the streets of Baghdad, usually not taking precautions and getting a sick thrill in living on the edge, even while the script humanizes him by his friendship with an Iraqi kid that sells DVDs on the base. That’s the basic premise of the film, which is not so much as having a central story but rather a series of vignettes depicting various missions the bomb crew has during the last month of their deployment in Iraq. Legendary director Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win the Directing Oscar for this) definitely captures the atmosphere of being an American soldier in Iraq, a world where ANYONE can be an insurgent and the locals eagerly gather with cameras and friends to witness the goings-ons when an IED is reported in the area, perhaps hoping for the thrill of watching a U.S. solder get blown to smithereens, and Renner, with his don’t give a shit attitude, shows himself to be capable more times than not (like at the climax). He is ably supported by Anthony Mackie as the guy who is just looking to get home in one piece and doesn’t care for Renner’s devil may care style; and Brian Geraghty as the soldier on the verge of mental collapse from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome who fears constantly that the next bullet or piece of shrapnel could have his name on it. As said, the story is loosely tied together by the day to day episodes that go on, as when the crew meets up with a group of military contractors in a bad spot, or Renner leads his men on a mad trek through the streets at night to find an insurgent bomber that he is sure is out there, but Bigelow and the actors keep it all together well. While the film doesn’t beat us over the head with any kind of anti-war theme, much of it does present us with the idea of the futility of the whole affair, as in why should we be risking our lives trying to save a people that don’t want to be saved? But the focal point remains squarely on the Renner character, and his love of being in a hellish war zone, with a very cool ending (complete with heavy metal on the soundtrack) that ultimately sums up his character’s motivation excellently. In the end, a film worth watching for war film junkies that helps them connect with one of their own…
9/10