THE HURT LOCKER review: Universal themes cloaked in the American flag

I can appreciate the extra-exhilaration an American citizen might experience when watching The Hurt Locker. While the film speaks for any human soul with a will to live, it remains incredibly patriotic and makes sure to put things like ‘the American way of life’ and ‘The American Dream’ in the spotlight. Without getting overly political about the actual situation in Iraq and why it’s happening (for whatever reason) and focusing on the film itself, as a ‘foreign’ viewer, it might have been nice to see some other countries represented in the story, purely for the acknowledgement that yes, there are other nations stationed in Iraq supporting US troops.

Sure, the main cast bump into a British contingent at the mid-point, but only to have them needing the help of American troops to survive. The one-eyed patriotism is especially evident for an Aussie viewer from the very opening of the film: Guy Pearce, an Australian actor, plays an American Army soldier in a scenario that could easily contain ANZAC  soldiers. This was strange to see and, for me, didn’t kick-start the film in a desirable light… later I concluded that the only light it wanted to shine a light on was that of the mighty America. And that’s to be expected. I had to consider that The Hurt Locker is purely patriotic and close enough to propaganda, accept it and move on. So I did. What I found are some universal themes cloaked in the American flag.

The universal theme Kathryn Bigelow struck gold with has always been and will forever be a hot topic: soldiers dying for their country. In The Hurt Locker it takes form in Staff Sergeant William James, an explosive technician, and his uncanny talent when put in the position of dismantling a bomb, no matter how unorthodox his methods. Maybe it’s the adrenaline? Maybe it’s just second nature? We’re never told and the character himself, masterfully played by Jeremy Renner, never figures it out.

The Hurt Locker could have so easily been dragged out as a boring melodrama pointlessly filled with suggestive subtext. Fortunately the film seemed to take into account an understanding of today’s audience and provided plenty of straight-forward plot and plain-as-day storytelling without insulting one’s intelligence. Kathryn Bigelow masterfully paced her sequences in an entertaining, easy to follow manner, keeping them thought-provoking without blatantly throwing answers to the audience at every turn. This made for back-to-back memorable moments that were delightfully easy to watch, filled with desired tension and suspense. One such sequence involves the three main characters bunkered up with a sniper rifle and enemy snipers on the other side of the desert. Hardly a word is spoken but the action is precise and the tension is high, making the sequence utterly compelling.

What the cinematography did for the film worked. It was supposed to feel home-grown and gritty. It was supposed to be edgy, shaky and rough… and that’s exactly what was wrong with it. I’m not sure who settled on the idea that shots in films could look so unstable lately, but the sense of planning and execution is thrown out of the window and replaced with uncoordinated shaky composition that becomes more and more frustrating as the film progresses. Of all the things right with The Hurt Locker, I was glad when it finished so I would no longer have to watch the damn frame shake around like it was shot by an 8 year old.

I must acknowledge, however, that the irritating cinematography did aid the performances a great deal. Thanks to the documentary style that the camera established, any blemishes that might have existed in performances went by unnoticed. I never questioned the believability of a performance at any moment (which made for a nice change).

It was easy to become invested in a character when the tension is built around defusing bombs. Watching steady hands search for a wire, knowing the thing could explode any second, made me tense up because I was waiting for the BANG! that could blast the screen at any second. Through gorgeous slow motion and explosive (pun intended) timing, Bigelow set the mood and expectations early and barely misses a beat in delivering a compelling story to the finish.

I would love to debate the way this film ends, because at first I was a little bemused by the lack of answers and growth of the lead characters. However, I realised that lack of answers or growth for a soldier is precisely the theme being delivered. They have no idea when they’re coming home. Worst of all, they have no idea what they’re really fighting for. For a film to capture that essence while the war in question is actually going on is impressive, and instinctively brings Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now to mind. Is The Hurt Locker one of the greatest of all time? Potentially. The Academy is going to give it a helping hand when it awards it Best Picture in March (my prediction), and I think for the first time in a while, they will have honoured the correct motion picture. This is especially impressive for an independent film — this film sets the bar at new heights for future independent achievements. I’m not sure it can get much higher.

As a happily married father of two there was plenty for me to take away from The Hurt Locker. My wife and I were able to speak about it very easily afterwards and reflect on things that occurred in the film while relating them to our own circumstances. We talked for a good hour and realised we had each noticed things the other hadn’t. We agreed to watch it again. That’s instantly a gold star for any film.

The Hurt Locker
80/100