Last night I attended a screening of Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film The Hurt Locker. Set in Iraq, The Hurt Locker closely follows the three members of the Delta Company EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) unit as they respond to calls about possible IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). As the unit nears the end of its scheduled rotation, a shift of command is made that brings in Staff Sergent James as the new leader of the unit. James is wild and off the cuff when it comes to his job and his recklessness puts his fellow teammates, Sergent Sanborn and Specialist Eldridge, at risk. As the tension rises between James and Sanborn, so do the stakes involved with their highly volatile job.
The Hurt Locker is one of the most steady and well paced films that I have seen in a long time. I’ve grown so used to seeing frenetic cuts and fast paced action and editing that seem to truncate the sense of time for the characters and the film in general, but The Hurt Locker is not one of those films. Its strength lies in the almost real-time feel it places on its most tense moments. This draws the audience in and allows them to truly experience and feel the emotions of the characters involved, as well as the duration and tonal shift of each feeling. There is one scene in particular that plays out much longer than a conventional film would dare to go, and it ends up being the most exciting and terrifying sequence of the film. The Hurt Locker is one of the few movies out there that allows its scenes to take a deep breath before plunging the audience into the action, and letting them explore and experience the moments until they are finished.
Given that the film is about a bomb disposal team, there are a number of hard hitting, chest pounding explosions that take place throughout the film. Each one is filled with a sense of realism and style that strays away from the cliched explosions of Hollywood blockbusters, while also managing to add a sense of beauty, awe, and terror, especially to one explosion in particular. Additionally, each explosion that takes place in the film is treated like its own character, with its own flaws, personality traits, and emotions attached to it. This sense of personification allows for the interactions between the squad and each bomb, to be very personal and engaging while also providing a sense of catharsis for each diffused situation.
Ultimately, the film really shines in its emotional exploration of the three main characters, as they each deal with the stresses of their job, their lives back home, and the often careless decisions of James and the consequences that arise because of them. Overall, The Hurt Locker is full of well paced action, very real emotions, edge of your seat tension, and a reminder that the sacrifices our soldiers give, can often be more than just their lives.
The Hurt Locker opens in limited release in the US on June 26, 2009.
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