Addicted to war

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2010)

The Hurt Locker is a brilliant examination of the war in Iraq, in particular a bomb squad unit faced with the task of replacing their bomb technician.
Jeremy Renner is SSgt. Williams James, the replacement bomb specialist. He knows that the unit lost a valued member, but he makes it clear that he is no ordinary bomb diffuser. James is a renegade, adrenaline junkie set on doing the job his way. He has some regard for his unit members, Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Spc. Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), but when it comes to him performing his job, he doesn't let them get in the way.
The three members form a bomb unit that go around encountering all sorts of situations to suspicious automobiles to possible suicide bombers. James wears the bomb suit while Sanborn and Eldridge are his eyes and ears. They rely on each other to stay alive, whether they like it or not. Much like a chain, each link depends on the other to stay together.
I have said this several times, but it is the originality of a story that makes me interested. War is a popular genre. For a movie to interest me, I need to be invested in the story, the characters, and the technical aspects. A good filmmaker focuses on one or two of these. A great one makes the package complete. Kathryn Bigelow, who before this film was probably more well known for being the ex-wife of James Cameron, has established herself as a very gifted filmmaker. In the opening scene she shows her ability to build suspense, releases it, and follow through with intensity, action, and fantastic camera work. Great tracking shots and impressive slow motion effects help make this a very memorable opening sequence.
Bigelow wasn't the only person to impress me. Renner takes a big step in the right direction with this role. There is something about him that is so interesting. We know nothing about him other than he is the unit's new member. After seeing his renegade approach to the job, we assume he a nut job, someone who doesn't care about whether he lives or dies. As the story moves along we learn more about him and his family back home. He develops a friendly relationship with one of the kids that hangs around the base. Renner slowly peels back the layers of his character through little interactions with those around him. We see he is a true, blue collared soldier who wants nothing more than to serve his country.
At the beginning of the movie we are given a quote that ends with, "war is a drug." Renner's character exemplifies this statement, being virtually the only person who wants to be where he is. It's a perfect way of setting the tone. A movie called The Hurt Locker is not going to be about sunshine and lollipops. It's going to be gritty and powerful. Bigelow presents some intense and moving images. This is a movie that stays with you. It's a movie that opens your eyes. That's exactly what a war movie should do.