Big Disappointment

Rating: 4/10 (20 January 2013)

"Zero Dark Thirty" is more of a blunt object than a work of art. It is riveting because of its subject matter, and not because of the direction by Kathryn Bigelow. This is a case of where a director and screenwriter (Mark Boal) fail to illuminate its subject matter. Since this film has almost universally positive reviews (93% fresh from Rottentomatoes.com critics) and I am recommending that people wait to see this film on DVD or video streaming, I'm writing a detailed explanation.
(Spoiler Alert)
"Zero Dark Thirty" uses a documentary style (known as cinéma vérité) to demonstrate how one CIA analyst, Maya (portrayed by Jessica Chastain) obtained and analyzed information learned from aggressive interrogations, including torture (some of which she ordered), of Al Qaeda accused detainees to find Osama Bin Laden's most trusted courier that eventually led to Bin Laden's whereabouts and the mission to kill Bin Laden. Without torture, "Zero Dark Thirty" would have no hero.
Very little, if any, other information was depicted in this film to identify Bin Laden's courier other than from detainees, who yielded to questions out of fear of being tortured again. In fact, the only other CIA operative, who advocated differently -- that the Cold War technique of bribery to turn double agents (without torture) -- is shown to be brutally murdered for her naiveté by a car bomb.
Since Bigelow and Boal strongly advocate for Maya's story of how her obsession to find Bin Laden makes her the actual hero of the death of Bin Laden, the film is an unapologetic advocate for torture. My problem with the film is Bigelow and Boal's attempt to use the documentary style to push the audience to come to the conclusion that "of course" torture was required to get Bin Laden.
My preference for films that use a documentary style or cinéma vérité with no narrator is to NOT pretend it portrays the truth of a subject, but to pose the problem of the truth in the film (paraphrasing French philosopher Edgar Morin), allowing viewers to judge the actions of the hero -- anything else seems insecure.
My last substantive critique of the film is Bigelow's depiction of the actual mission to capture Bin Laden; it's far from a model of clarity. Bigelow depicts Seal Team Six as knowing precisely what it is doing, while not translating that clarity to film or to the audience. Bigelow purposely fails to lead the audience through which building each team is in and the objective of each part of Seal Team Six.
I would be extremely disappointed if this film wins any Academy Awards whatsoever.