The Hurt Locker

I can't say that this award-winning Oscar drama knocked me off my feet, and it won't make it into my top war movies either, as it lacks a cohesive plotline, and the characters, except for the main protagonist, are merely sketched out. It's a depiction of several fragmented scenes from the operations of a unit focused on neutralizing explosives. The authenticity in capturing the overall atmosphere in Baghdad and war-torn Iraq can definitely be appreciated. In comparison to Kathryn Bigelow's film, Hollywood's so-called war movies, like for example Three Kings, seem rather awkward. However, the authenticity of individual scenes and the protagonist's experiences are not all that magnificent. In reality, playing it safe and adhering to caution is much more common, and a soloist indulging in adrenaline would not be understood by their unit colleagues, and especially not by their superiors. I estimate that they would've earned themselves an end to their mission at least three times due to their escapades. American units are specialized and usually call in the appropriate special forces to handle extraordinary situations, so pyrotechnics specialists interfering with the work of snipers or clearing adjacent sectors of terrorists is pure fiction. Another aspect to appreciate in this drama is the absence of the usual patriotic pathos, clichés, and above all, political correctness. Kathryn Bigelow also avoids unnecessary naturalistic repulsiveness, as war in her interpretation is stress, fatigue, constant tension, dirt, and waiting for the end of the mission. Overall impression: 80%. (01.04.2010)

I have a problem with this film. It derives all of its atmosphere and suspense from the banal fact that a bomb might (or might not) go off at any time. Its characters are uninteresting, the dialogue is horrible and the dramaturgical framework almost non-existent (it’s just a series of situations that the characters facing death have to survive). On the other hand, these very flaws make it all the more realistic and valuable as a testimony from the given places. Maybe all this movie needed was to decide whether it wanted to be an exciting thriller or an interesting docudrama. (20.12.2009)

Full Metal Jacket for the new millennium – militant, cynical and predatory. A ballbusting documentary drama about a war-addicted people, about overgrown boys for whom normal life is far too normal. Bigelow loaded a cart full of naturalism, the hot Iraqi atmosphere and brilliant acting. This type of dynamically filmed war drama has been lacking since the days when Scott filmed Black Hawk Down. Like him, Bigelow leaves aside the moral assessment of the conflict and instead goes deep into the characters' psyche and adds a solid portion of irony (something that was missing in Black Hawk Down). There is great portion of raw fight scenes and sweaty dialogues of the average soldier for two solid hours. The Hurt Locker is not trying to get to the heart of the Iraq war, but rather simply capture the strange soul of a warrior. And in this respect, Kathryn Bigelow did a better and more responsive job than her male colleagues. In addition to balls, the film also has empathy... For me, The Hurt Locker is one of the American film highlights of 2009. Perhaps even the best. (08.02.2010)

It's a mystery to me how this brilliant flick didn’t get a wider audience response. What Stone's Platoon meant for an "alternative look" at the Vietnam conflict, Kathryn Bigelow's film means for the current U.S. Army mission in Iraq, and for its guys, who are there trembling for their lives and counting each day until the end of their tour of duty. The film doesn't moralise, it doesn't lecture, it just offers blood, sweat, frustration, the dust of Iraqi roads, fear of death and general paranoia, where even an Iraqi with a camera can be a potential terrorist. Not since Mendes's Jarhead has there been such a good military-themed film. (14.05.2009)

Kathryn Bigelow understands the tough guy heart better than half of Hollywood's major league action directors. This film about a group of bomb squad technicians stuck in the heart of Iraq and struggling daily with the problem of "red or blue?" could not have been made in any other way than as a suspenseful thriller with a sultry atmosphere of hot streets and desert distances. This is perhaps the first cinematic contribution to the subject that doesn't moralize about the good/bad side of warfare or try to understand the souls of Islamic fighters. Instead, it gives us a glimpse into the lives of those who are left with nothing but cynicism and the belief that any proper course of action to disarm is one that doesn't make you scream. Scenes of pulling bombs out of the ground, searching for a detonator in a car, or saving a suicide bomber are all worthy of a discharge because they make your blood run cold. However, the director is ultimately undermined by the screenwriter's stiffer dialogue and the cheap escapade with little Beckham. Otherwise, it’s damn great! 4 ½. (04.02.2009)