There isn't a lot of real combat.
Iraq is a very dangerous place to set your film. As soon as you do so, you step into a mostly indecipherable political struggle and you’re bound to upset somebody. Director Kathryn Bigelow however walks an incredibly fine neutral line throughout her film. The Hurt Locker is a tense drama that uses Iraq as a necessary background for its story and nothing more.
This is not a political film then, neither is it really an action flick, it’s just an outstanding drama. The film follows a counter IED (improvised explosive device) squad nearing the end of their tour of duty in Iraq. Written by Mark Boal, a journalist embedded with an IED squad for three years, it is uncompromisingly gritty and perfectly captures the tension that I would assume accompanies defusing an IED in a hot and crowded street. As I mentioned earlier, it isn’t an action film and, written by a man who is effectively a veteran, there is no “cut the red wire” countdown nonsense, just brilliant tension building. The film keeps you teetering on the edge of your seat but rarely blows you off of it, an absolute masterclass in suspenseful film-making.
It may looke like the cover of MW2 but this is far more tasteful.
The suspense wouldn’t endure of course, without a believable world and believable characters; fortunately the three main actors (the IED squad) give their performances their absolute all. The supporting cast are also aggressively good. The best performance has to go to Jeremy Remmer as the squad’s complicated leader. The movie opens with a quote, “War is a drug”, and it soon becomes apparent that this is in reference to Remmer’s character, an adrenaline junkie who soon becomes a liability, putting his squad in needlessly dangerous situations. He can be a bit of a dick but he never becomes an annoying or hateful character due to his developed personality. I found myself empathising with his alienated position, especially towards the excellent ending. The world surrounding the drama is just as believable as the characters. Shot in Jordan, the film certainly looks the part, before some research I honestly thought the film was shot in Iraq. The camerawork also creates a realistic atmosphere, with many scenes shot on handheld cameras mimicking the style that i writer and ex war reporter Boal was very familiar in shooting in. This style of camerawork is only used when appropriate and therefore never loses its effect or gets wearing. The other scenes, while shot fairly traditionally still incorporate some excellent vistas and a few meaningful and deliberate shots towards the conclusion. The color palette is striking throughout and there is a great contrast between the endless yellows of Iraq and the blues and greys of the few sections in the U.S.
Focusing on the calm rather than the storm, The Hurt Locker is an excellent film, taking a very different approach to war it is easily the best war film since Black Hawk Down and for my money it’s better.
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One Response to “Review: The Hurt Locker”
This film looks amazing. I wanted to see it at the cinema but didn’t get the chance. I think I’m going to buy it on Blu Ray.