The Hurt Locker review

 Number 667 on the top 1000 films of all time is Kathryn Bigelow's war drama 'the Hurt Locker.'

Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner) is the new team leader of a U.S Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit during the Iraq War. However, he is also a maverick and renegade, often playing by his own rules. This soon puts him into conflict with the rest of his team, most notably, his second-in-command Sgt. J.T Sanborn (Anthony Mackie.) Chris Carmago, Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce all co-star.

When Kathryn Bigelow won the 2008 Best Director Oscar, she made history by becoming the first woman to have done so. I would argue it was a worthy win. Within 'the Hurt Locker,' she portrayed a harrowing, nuanced and gritty portrayal of war. This wasn't an overly-simplistic "Americans are good and rest of the world is bad," it was far more complicated and realistic than that. Part of that realism comes from how 'the Hurt Locker' was shot in Jordan - close to the Iraqi border. Reportedly, she had wanted to film in Iraq, but it would have been too dangerous. Although, the cast and crew were shot at on multiple occasions, so ... but by filming on location, Bigelow brought a brilliant authenticity to the film. This wasn't just some Hollywood sound stage, but a reality for the many poor people who live and suffer here. 

As is inevitably the case in war films where all the characters are dressed alike and there are lots of explosions and gunfire, things do become chaotic and confusing. But, as such, is the nature of war. It's a frenetic and hectic environment where danger lies around every corner. This type of high-octane risk was enough to keep me glued to the screen.

Although, I would question the nature of James' character. Renegade, mavericks who don't play by the rules maybe great characters with lots of agency who push stories along, but I wonder how realistic they are in real life. Surely, in high-discipline environments like the military where obedience is key, a character who constantly breaks the rule would never be allowed to thrive like James does. Every decision you make not only impacts whether not only you, but also your teammate, come home alive or in a body bag. Okay, so James is good at his job and always gets results, but he is repeatedly putting his comrades in danger. James repeatedly clashes with Sanborn. And later, James' reckless actions lead to one of his men becoming badly hurt and having to be airlifted home. These rogueish actions might make great watching and great conflict, but I don't think it's realistic at all.

The film ends with the conclusion of James' rotation where he returns to the US and struggles to adapt to civillian life. There is a gulf between his wife and daughter, and he quickly decides to return to Iraq. This was such an important theme to explore, but I feel it was a little short-changed. So many veterans struggle to reassimilate to everyday life as they don't receive the support they need. It's horrible to see. However, I don't think this was explored in enough depth. We didn't see enough of James' family to feel any type of emotional connection. I cared about him as a soldier, but not as a family man. Bigelow didn't give me enough to care about. Perhaps if the film was book-ended with scenes of his wife and daughter, things might have been better.

Nevertheless, this was a taut and gripping war drama that earned Kathryn Bigelow a well-deserving Best Director Oscar. And congratulations for being the first woman to receive that illustrious prize.