The Hurt Locker

It’s hard to imagine a place where explosions, death and animosity are as common as a kite in a summer breeze. But right from the start, you feel the oppression, the hatred for the US soldiers. The film offers a real look into the fears of US soldiers and the addiction of war, how some are often unable to give it up after their rotations end. In addition, an ugly, side of the Iraq war not normally seen is revealed; its unpredictable, unforgiving nature. No one is safe and we’re right in there, experiencing the tension as these soldiers feel it, hoping that they don’t die. It’s mundane and routine, and deviation from that can get you killed. Shot with a “cinema verite” feel, the film shows rather well the intense level of trust each soldier much place on each other, and how one maverick “war addicted” soldier can disrupt the cohesion of the unit. The film also shows how uncontrollably pointless it all is. Soldiers will do anything they can to feel normal, but it’s never enough. The performances feel gritty and real, and the soldiers show surprising emotional depth. War is hell, but a greater hell is the inability to willfully remove ones self from harm’s way. Actually shooting the film in the Middle East gave it a very authentic feel.