The Hurt Locker (2009)

3.5

ACTION/THRILLER/WAR
U.S. Release Date: 06/26/09
Running Length: 131 Minutes
MPAA Classification: R (Violence, Profanity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio:1.85:1
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly, Christian Camargo
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Screenplay: Mark Boal
Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd
Music: Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders
U.S. Distributor: Summit Entertainment

Review by: Carter Moulton

01/29/10

What do I do? I’m in a predicament. The Hurt Locker is essentially a four-star film. It features an opening sequence that pulsates your heart with the same intensity as the explosion that pulsates through the characters onscreen; about midway through—just as good ol’ Ralph Fiennes joins the battle—a scene depicting a sniper shootout in the desert rivals Avatar’s “seeds from the Tree of Souls surround Sully” as the best scene of the year. The only thing stopping The Hurt Locker from being a four-star film is the ending. How do I justify my rating without talking about the ending? I have to cover this later, but for now, I guess I can say two things: it’s cliché, and it’s accompanied by some god-awful death-metal music…and it’s in slow motion.

 

Katheryn Bigelow’s film about the war in Iraq isn’t about a badass Iraqi killer, but in this ending sequence, one can only think a character equivalent to what Brad Pitt was to the Nazis in Inglourious Basterds. Jeremy Renner plays William Jones, a genius when it comes to dismantling explosives—more of a badass American savior. Bigelow, perfect throughout most of the film, takes an element of what The Hurt Locker was and flips it on its head with this ending. I can’t get over this one half-minute sequence.

 

However, the grass is generally green—very green. Guy Pearce has a cameo in the opening sequence as Matt Thompson, a staff sergeant. Bigelow drops us right in the thick of it, on the streets of Baghdad. Thompson goes in to disarm an explosive that is hidden amongst some trash. Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd deserves some recognition for his decision to shoot aspects of the explosion at a high speed, sometimes as high as 1000 fps. The resulting footage both spectacizes and acknowledges the power of explosives—they're truly stunning shots.

 

Photo © Summit Entertainment

Jones, the badass, is selected to replace Thompson—whose mask fills with red as a result of the aforementioned explosion—as the leader of the bomb squad unit, which consists of Specialist Owen Eldrige (Brian Geraghty) and Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie). Jones, whom Colonel Reed (David Morse) describes as a “wild man,” has disarmed 873 bombs in his career, but his methods are, well, wild—who keeps count to 873? He refuses to take the advice of others, and, while disarming a car bomb, he throws his headset to the side and takes off his bomb gear—“If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die comfortable,” he tells Eldridge.

 

Two sub-stories form: Sgt. Sanborn isn’t going to put up with Jones’ reckless tactics, while Eldridge, the most interesting character, struggles with his decision to join the ranks. “I’ve got a question about that song, ‘Be All You Can Be,’” he tells a fellow soldier. “What if all I can be is dead on the side of an Iraqi road?”

 

Bigelow keeps the blood pumping throughout, with many of the disarming scenes overflowing with suspense. As stated earlier, the sequence involving a game of sniper chess between Jones and an enemy will flat-out exhaust you. Renner is impressive and deserves the praise he’s been receiving, but equally as impressive—if not more so—are Geraghty and Mackie in their supporting roles.

 

The Hurt Locker runs a little long, which brings me back to my one complaint. Conflict after conflict, mental injuries, physical injuries, solitude—war isn’t a good thing. So how does the film end? Guitar riffs and slow-motion struts as our hero walks back into battle. I understand—he has to do what he has to do; I just don’t think we need to turn it into a Matrix moment.

 

Thirty seconds aside—my mind debating the importance of this half-minute—The Hurt Locker is one of the year’s best pictures. As far as character development, performances, script, and direction, it all gels beautifully. And even though Ralph Fiennes found his way into this war-based Academy-Award contender (see my review of The Reader), I can’t blame the industry for gushing over this movie.