5 Stars For The Hurt Locker?

Posted On: July 11, 2009
Posted By: odeisel
Comments: 0

By Malice Intended

The best films are often deceptively simple. They transcend boundaries in very subtle and unobvious ways. They do a lot with seemingly very little. The audience walks away realizing that the meal they just had was more nourishing and filling than it first appeared on the plate.

The Hurt Locker follows the exploits of a U.S. Army EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Unit in Iraq. Their job is to find, defuse and dispose of bombs of all kinds. The bombs can be made of anything, planted anywhere and detonated in a multitude of ways. The film follows the unit on a mission to mission basis. The team leader, Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) is skillful but reckless. Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are both under his command and at his mercy. Sgt. James’ fearlessness produces results in the field, but his penchant for pushing the limits puts unnecessary strain on Sanborn and Eldridge. An uneasy camaraderie forms between the three, regardless. War is indeed hell, and the stress of the job forces each of these men to go through their own private torment.

Director Kathryn Bigelow specializes in prototypical “guy” movies. Her body of work includes cult classics such as Near Dark, Point Break and the underappreciated Strange Days. The Hurt Locker examines some of the same themes as the aforementioned films (particularly “Point Break), albeit with a more mature eye. It’s very much an action drama, but it is entirely probable and realistic. This is accomplished via a bare bones approach to the action. The camera moves are subdued, slow motion is used sparingly, and cutting is kept to a minimum. Bigelow uses only what is necessary; without the intrusion of overdone production techniques. Less is almost always more.

The characterizations depend more on observing the actions and behavior of these men than on expository dialogue and monologues. The Hurt Locker lets us get to know these characters by simply watching what they do and how they react to what they are confronted with. It doesn’t offer much in the way of analysis, leading the audience to draw its own conclusions. This film doesn’t make a political statement about the war in Iraq; it simply presents us with the dilemma of a small group of men who happen to be in the midst of the maelstrom.

Renner is unforgettable as Staff Sergeant James. Initially, he seems like a self-centered adrenaline junky. Slowly, but surely, we begin to see a more human side emerge. He is cool under fire, but not unaffected by it. His trauma manifests itself in odd and peculiar ways. Renner finds the perfect note as a man who wears a mask of cool collectedness, but is a raging sea of emotion underneath.

Anthony Mackie is focused and calculated as Sergeant Sanborn; the embodiment of by-the-book efficiency. For him, Standard Operating Procedure is law. Anything that deviates from that path puts him at great unease. Still, he quietly respects James’ instincts and knack for getting results. Like James, the war is having an effect on him. Unlike James, he is much better at expressing his angst. He also has a much more human and “normal” response to the carnage around him.

As Specialist Owen Eldridge, Brian Geraghty is the most relatable of the three. He is a good warrior, but he is nervous and slow to trust his own instincts. His growing fear is becoming harder for him to ignore, and he finds little comfort in expressing his anxiety to his colleagues. Geraghty’s performance is sympathetic and vulnerable. We feel nervous for Eldridge when he is in the field, even though we know he is “technically” qualified.

The Hurt Locker is the best action film of the year. It respects its audience enough to let it draw its own conclusions about the war and the effect if has on the men who are fighting it. It showcases macho posturing and bravado, but also gives you a glimpse at the beating heart beneath. These aren’t just “fighting men”, but men with emotions and souls. The Hurt Locker gives is that and more without the pomp and circumstance.

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