War is Hell

Rating: 7/10 (3 September 2009)

Films about the War of Terrorism and the Iraq War have often been critical and commercial poison for many filmmakers. There is a list of films such as Lions for Lambs and In the Valley of Elah. The Hurt Locker is the first film to break this trend.
The Hurt Locker tells the story about Bravo Company, 3 soldiers who specialise in disarming improvised explosive device (IED). They are about to enter into their last month of duty when their team leader is killed and a new one takes his place. SSgt. William James (Jeremy Renner) proves himself to be a highly reckless soldier, but gets praised by his commanders. He ends up in conflict with Sgt. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), a more conservative soldier who wants to do his duty and get out of the war alive. The company do grow together, working as a team, and have do to a number of missions together. But both sergeants still differ about their methods and the war has affect everyone involved.
There is no grant plot about stopping evil terrorists or a grant battle; the focus of the film is on the small company, how they interact and how the work affects them. The three main character are very different views on the war, one is a danger junkie, the other a conservative, more natural leader who wants to do his duty and protect the lives of his men and a nervous young kid. The film shows that the Iraq war was a tough urban war where American soldiers do not know who the enemy is. The enemy uses IEDs. The Americans are fighting an invisible enemy and don't know who to truth. The Iraqs/Arabs/Muslims are not portrayed as villains, most are just trying to lead a normal life. The views of the insurgency and the politics of the war are not looked at. The focus of the film is on normal soldiers trying to do their duty. The Americans are neither heroes or villains, and the films looks at many issues within the US army and the psyche of soldiers.
They is a decent script and shot acting from the three leads. They are excellent supporting characters such as Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce. The writer, actors and director make you care about what happens about what happens to them. Kathryn Bigelow shows good and bad elements of her direction. She is about to make a tense film which adds to the atmosphere and the character development. They are shot war scenes and she is a skilled action director. You feel what the war could have been like. But her director also reminded me of the direction of Michael Mann and Paul Greengrass with shaky cam and quick camera panning. She uses a hand-held camera and I'm more of a traditionalist on that front. The film was also like the Bourne Supremacy of war films.
The Hurt Locker is a good film, but it is not 5 out 5 like some reviewers would have you believe.