Kathryn Bigelow’s meticulously designed Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal in Iraq, The Hurt Locker, is not a “war movie” or “anti-war” movie.
Defying genre expectations, The Hurt Locker is more of a military procedural, depicting with details of what it really takes (step-by-step) to defuse I.E.D.s in active combat zones.
The authenticity of the film’s depiction of such missions has been debated by some experts.
What really matters is its edge-of- your seat tension; adrenaline has always been Bigelow’s forte (Point Break, 1991).
Among the characters is the wild-card staff sergeant (Jeremy Renner in breakout role), who risks his life, with his involvement in escalating near-fatal incidents.
The Hurt Locker became a landmark Best Picture due to the fact that it was the first movie directed by a female filmmaker to earn that prize.
Bigelow shows remarkable facility for ratcheting the tension up, under persistent pressure, while chronicling the fear and chaos, but also courage and grace, involved.
