A film that displays much realism to the weight of war on human beings

Rating: 9/10 (30 July 2012)

The Hurt Locker primarily focuses on the story of Sergeant First Class (SFC) William James, who arrives in Baghdad, Iraq to occupy the position of a fallen Soldier in a bomb disposal squad. SFC James, who is played by Jeremy Renner, has a very die-hard leadership style; this leads to a conflict of opinions with his teammates in their early relationship. The members of his team, Sergeant (SGT) JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist (SPC) Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), are accustomed to doing things in full accordance with military regulations. To survive the remainder of their deployment together they must work through their personal and collective difficulties, ensuring the safety and security of the bomb sites that they go into.
The major theme of the film is the effects that war have on people. While SFC James is a warrior who gives everything to the mission, the film also displays his moments of weakness as well. The weight of battle starts to show when the team finds a dead child who is packed with explosives. This young boy coincidentally looks similar to another child who SFC James is fond of back at the team's base. Shortly after these explosives are found, an accompanying officer who has been counseling SPC Eldridge is killed by another explosive device. The death of this officer devastates SPC Eldridge, while SFC James searches for answers in the death of the young boy. In doing so, he makes some erratic decisions which place his life in danger. Further on in their deployment, SFC James and SGT Sanborn answer a call where an innocent man is strapped with an explosive vest. While they do everything they can, the death of this civilian is unavoidable. This causes SGT Sanborn to breakdown expressing his fear of dying as a single man, while shortly after SFC James emotionally falls apart in his solitude.
Similar movies, such as the 2007 film In the Valley of Elah, expose the long term issues that Soldiers like SFC James must deal with when they return from combat. This is lightly touched on at the end of The Hurt Locker, when SFC James is unable to adjust to civilian life so he volunteers to return to war.
The Hurt Locker uses many techniques to draw in its audiences. One of these techniques is how the sound is integrated. For example, the explosions that take place are very genuine; one can hear debris hitting buildings, metal objects clanging, the screams that follow, etc. Another technique that is spot on, are the camera angles. These shots are natural and precise, drawing viewers in more. For example, when SFC James enters the home of an Iraqi man in search of answers to the death of a young boy, the camera is quick to focus on him as he shuffles from room to room.
It's no surprise that The Hurt Locker has been reviewed with much acclaim. War is rugged and painful, and the dedication in this film is clearly evident by the realism of the events that take place.