A glorifying film for brave American soldiers.

Rating: 8/10 (25 June 2013)

Kathryn Bigelow's 'The Hurt Locker' was one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2009, even though it only experienced a limited release in theaters around America. This movie is a riveting suspense thriller that literally puts you right in the action of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad in Iraq, risking their lives every day to complete the missions they are tasked with. The film was shot much like a documentary, but the drama and thrilling suspense give it the qualities of an epic war film.
Right from the start, we get an up close and personal look into what these soldiers deal with every day of their lives. SSgt. William James (Jeremy Renner) is the main specialist who suits up and goes in to disarm each bomb with his own hands. He's constantly supervised by Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) while the rest of the squad provides support and cover in the dangerous conditions that they find themselves in. As they move through every mission, tension starts to builds up between the different characters. Most notably is the relationship that develops between SSgt. James and SSgt. Sanborn, as James is the kind of person who exhibits no fear in what he does, while Sanborn acts highly protective and cautious of the task at hand. These two characters let internal struggles come through and provide colorful character development throughout the movie.
The cinematography of this film is really exciting. It has a cinema verité feel to it, with shaky cameras and brutally graphic scenes, but gets extremely immersive and dynamic as the action goes on. The camera frequently goes from one point of view to the next. For instance, a soldier sees movement in the window of a building across the courtyard, and fires a shot. The camera, immediately shifting to the point of view of the window, just catches the bullet ricocheting off the wall. I found these sudden shifts in point of view to be highly effective in giving a broad presentation of perspective.
'The Hurt Locker' was the closest thing to a true Iraq War documentary we've seen Hollywood put out during that time. It's a glorifying film for the brave American soldiers who go into Iraq and put their lives on the line to fight for our country.