By Eric Eisenberg
War is hell and there isn’t a single filmmaker on Earth who would deny it (save perhaps Leni Riefenstahl). What often sidetracks a war film, however, is the writer or directors personal politics, especially when dealing with a controversial war. Be it Johnny Got His Gun or Fail Safe, it is more common that not that a war film will look at thing from a certain perspective that will result in a divided audience and possibly redirect attention away from the film’s better qualities.
Enter The Hurt Locker, director Kathryn Bigelow’s return to the big screen after a seven year absence. The film follows a three-man bomb squad (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty) working to protect civilians and military personnel alike during a tour in the Iraq War.
Just as the Vietnam war had in the 1960s and 1970s, the ongoing Iraq War has been a major source of strife in America, some supporting the war and some against it, and has already seen a number of film treatments, including Stop Loss, The Kingdom and In the Valley of Elah, a movie that Mark Boal, who wrote The Hurt Locker, contributed to. Locker, however, succeeds where these other films failed in that it rises above the politics of the war and instead focuses more on the nature of war itself and its effect on the soldiers fighting in it. The film could easily take place in an alternate universe in a completely different war, but the message would still be the same.
Leading the film is Renner as Staff Sergeant William James who is called in to lead the unit following the previous leader’s death. At first, Renner comes across as a stock character: cocky yet brilliant, like a bomb defusing robot crossed with the personality of Gregory House. Mackie and Geraghty, playing Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge respectively, even contemplate killing James for endangering their lives and it doesn’t seem like to bad an idea. Following a few missions, though, seeing James work and getting paid back for his attitude, the character quickly becomes a well rounded and sympathetic.
As almost a fourth team member, the tension in the film is perpetually at a high point, reflecting the pressure put on the team during each mission. Audience members will find themselves sweating alongside Renner as he works quickly and carefully to save lives. Adding to this is the regular use of a hand-held camera, giving the film a documentary-type feel and making everything seem just that much more real and important.
Thus far, The Hurt Locker is the best film made about America’s current conflict in the Middle East and is one of the better war films ever made. Its apolitical positioning, high tension and incredible performances make it an absolute standout and one of the best films so far this year.
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