A Masterpiece in the Tradition of Stanley Kubrick

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2009)

I'm a fan of the work of Stanley Kubrick, and although I have seen films that pay homage to the master, I have never seen a film by another director that was able to convey the kind of energy that Kubrick conveyed in his films--until now. Kathryn Bigelow is not "another Kubrick" but she has created a masterpiece of cinema, and that's not a small thing, and it shares many of the characteristics of Kubrick's greatest work.
It never gives audience a break. You are expected (or demanded) to pay attention and absorb what you see. Kubrick always played fair, he never let you down by pulling you into the film and then exploiting your trust in him by asking you to overlook incompetence. His work was complete and contained within its own reality. "The Hurt Locker" has this same quality of forcing you to accept the film on its own terms, and then providing a proper reward for your participation. As an audience, you have to work--but the reward is readily provided.
Technology is woven into the film in new and interesting ways (something Kubrick was noted for). Most of the stern or negative comments on "The Hurt Locker" come from U.S. Army veterans who critique it as if it were a documentary. Considering that it is a character study, this is not evidence that Bigelow made a poor film, it's evidence of how well she made it. It's so "true" that it stirs up serious emotion among those who feel the danger as it is unfolding on the screen and feel compelled to do something about it--and correct the actions of those in danger. This is quite different from most "war films" made in recent years ("Black Hawk Down" comes to mind) where the action portrays soldiers who behave like suicidal maniacs, and the result is so much like a comic book that it's beyond real criticism by real warriors.
But "The Hurt Locker" is too close to the bone to be "forgiven" for technical errors. Too real.
Finally, "The Hurt Locker" makes no apologies. In the best tradition of Kubrick, it tells the story that the director wanted to tell, and sears it into your mind, if you consent to the operation. Few directors can achieve this kind of intensity in a film. The names of those who can are legendary. Hitchcock. Kubrick. Now, apparently, Bigelow.