Incredible Tension, But Sparse Plot

Rating: 6/10 (11 March 2017)

As a fan of war-esque cinema, I have seen the greats: Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, First Blood, etc. Recently, however, after watching such films as Jarhead and Brothers, I have begun to notice a phenomena in modern-day war films (primarily about the Middle East, accordingly) in which, while the action may be tremendous, the plot is very sparse and understated. I was hoping for something different in "Hurt Locker", but was once again disappointed.
For a quick plot summary, the events of "Hurt Locker" take place in Iraq and center on an elite bomb-defusing squad. Time and time again the unit (led by an enigmatic Sergeant played by Jeremy Renner) shows up on the scene of pressure-packed situations and must work fast in order to minimize casualties and general destruction. The effects of that constant tension are also touched on in scenes during the rare "down time" of the unit.
Disregarding the overall message of the film for a moment, the movie created great tension and wartime experiences that I had not yet seen on screen. You will literally feel your pulse rising and may have to remind yourself to breathe as "Renner's" unit goes about their pressure-cooker situations. This is an aspect of war so crucial to the Middle East conflict that it was about time it got its "due" on the big screen.
Unfortunately, the entire message of the film didn't come anywhere near to living up to that battlefield suspense. Instead of presenting any riveting emotional dilemmas or character studies, director Kathryn Bigelow paints Renner (easily who was supposed to be the emotional background of the film) as such a stark portrait that it was difficult for me to feel anything towards him, whether good or bad. Now, this isn't to say that the film is stark for any sort of lack of effort, as I truly believe that Bigelow believed she was creating high drama with Renner's character. However, in trying to create what she believed to be an accurate portrayal of an Iraq War soldier, she didn't manufacture enough drama to really allow me to identify with the lead character.
Thus, your ranking of this film will likely be determined by your feelings about the amount of "contrived" drama that needs to be concocted in war films. If you like to stick with the very basics, "The Hurt Locker" will be right up your alley. If however, like me, you need a little external character drama to jump-start your emotions, than you may feel a bit wanting when the end credits roll.