“The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.” The moment you see this line opening Kathryn Bigelow’s highly acclaimed film ‘The Hurt Locker’, you know the film might just be what you expect it to be.
The Hurt Locker frankly has no point to prove nor does it intend to send any particular message across to the audiences. Fiercely intense, it is simply a powerful depiction of wartime narrative.
What goes through the mind of an army squad whose job is to defuse bombs and play with death every moment, the effect this dangerous job has on their life...how it drives them to their breaking point every single day is what the film is all about.
The film is based on the intricate observation of journalist Mark Boal while he was stationed in Iraq on an assignment with a special US army bomb defusing unit.
‘War is indeed a drug’ for Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), who is passionate about everything that can almost kill him! After the death of the tech head of a special bomb defusing unit in a bomb explosion, James takes over as the new tech head. The death of their previous head leaves James’ associates Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge in a state of shock and dismay. To top it all James’ reckless behaviour and fondness to flirt with death makes the team all the more frustrated as they themselves fear yet envy his passion to take risks in a high pressure job that demands it every minute.
The Hurt Locker has a documentary feel to it as most of the scenes are shot in a handheld camera style. The film is days in the lives of this bomb unit and thus how almost everyday is a judgement day for these men as they set out to defuse deadly bombs.
In spite of the nature of the film being repetitive, Bigelow’s brilliant direction successfully mounts an alarming pressure on the audiences during the unit’s every expedition as they challenge death for their and everyone else’s survival. The scene where James discovers the human bomb, sends shivers down your spine.
The film’s volatile lead character William James is another reason you like the film. James is nothing he comes across to be and beneath that hard exterior is a man who tackles fear and frustration every single moment. How he motivates his colleagues who don’t think highly of him in the beginning is also beautifully showcased. The scene towards the end where James struggles to rescue an Iraqi who has bombs strapped all over his body moves you to tears.
The film has its fair share of light moments too, most emerging from James’ eccentric behaviour.
The Hurt Locker is not about sympathising with the soldiers. Its not a dramatic showcase of how heroic their feats are. It is an emotionally stirring drama on studying the psyche of that soldier who makes himself believe every moment, that he can survive when he knows the chances are zero! The Hurt Locker is a gripping portrayal of men who believe ‘Courage is not the absence of fear but the knowledge that something else is more important than fear’.
More power to you Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal and Jeremy Renner for this brilliant work. The film is worth all the Academy awards and accolades that have come its way. A must watch.
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