Brilliant Propaganda.

Rating: 5/10 (31 October 2010)

This is a war movie that revolves around a small team of a bomb disposal unit which is disarming bombs in Iraq for 30 days. How they diffuse different types of bombs, kills people, get killed and save Iraquies by doing their 'job'.
It is a strange and sad fact that the very first woman director to get an Oscar is Kathryn Bigelow who at the same time did that movie as a US war propaganda. Shame.
Technically as a director Kathryn soars high. She excels many contemporaries by brilliantly captivating the moment of the scenes. Her visualization is perfect. Added with nice photography along with hand-held cam photography to pitch in journalism-editing. Many comments read that 'many technical aspects of bomb disposal unit operation' are inaccurate and flawed.
Politically Kathryn turns bad. But brilliant. The movie pretends that it does not deal about the Iraqi politics at all but at the same time sows its agenda that, US solders are 'servicing' in Iraq for their 'free country'. You want proof? The film is shot in Jordan, the neighbor country of Iraq and they actually used the Iraqi refugees as 'extras'. Hows that ? Compare this attempt with Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11. You'll know what sort of delicate poltics Kathryn Bigelow is playing.
During the movie, the (American)audience would get a feel that Iraq is a Jungle full of animals in which US soldiers are fighting for their as well as their country's life. Lots and lots of scenes, shots placed delicately, dramatically to give one the effect of 'American Nationalism' and their 'Deterrent strikes' all over the world. B.S.
Soldier warning a terrorist who is about to switch the button in his cellphone while few hundred feet away his colleague is disarming a bomb... The car bomb diffusing American soldier (showing his brilliance and dedication over this life threatening condition) in the car bomb diffusion sequence... The Arab Kid who is selling DVDs. His relationship with the 'war thirsty' soldier (football playing friendliness.. wow) and what happens to him... All Iraqui terrorist enemies are faceless, ruthless. They were shown passively. No characters. The faces too gives you a creepy idea of 'you are in a dangerous place'... The enemies are so ruthless that they plant a bomb in a dead body so that it blows during an autopsy by American soldiers. There is also a scene where one guy tied a bomb with his body was rescued by an American soldier where the soldier finds that the bomb was 'locked' with chains and locks so that releasing him from the ticking bomb becomes impossible... The enemies are so cheating that an old man seeking help with loading rocks on to his cart on the roadside is in fact a lethal enemy... The Americans shooting snipers in the desert are so 'job' oriented such that in the event of a 'thirsty break' they do it systematically and drink for the sniper is also 'served' with a procedure because they are doing their 'jobs'... And indeed all these US soldiers do have a 'family home' somewhere in US. A remote place; surrounded by Meadows lawn and beautiful trees and natural surroundings. Having beautiful wives and small babies whom they have left at their 'family home'. And of course they long to go back but their 'call of duty' prevents them somehow...wow..
and so on..
In the Iraq war over 300000 Iraqi people were killed. 600000 Iraqi people left homeless. A few thousands of US soldiers died in Iraq and a 32 thousand got injured. All for what ? To own the oil mines by American companies. After the war everything is done. A pseudo govt setup that inquires Saddam Hussein and hangs him and put thousands of people in Jail. Who is the victim here ? Iraqi people ? or the US soldiers ? Whom would you want to portray in a film. Kathryn chooses the 'winning team', the American team. Find a story (It was found by James Cameron, her ex-husband)that fits into this American Nationalism structure. Make it with visually compelling shots and scenes. And one year later it gets Oscar in the name of an 'anti-war movie'. sure. Why not ?
I used to fall for such American propaganda films (e.g. First Blood.. Rambo) when I was young and only knew American Cinema. Now, I can see more than that and find out what American Cinema is.
I wanted to expose this film's cruelty shot by shot. But stops here as of now.