Hurt Locker is pulse raising and thought provoking!
During my childhood I happened to live close to Army personnel’s colony. Sometimes an old signboard in that campus caught my attention. It said, "War is an art” It always perplexed me, how can horrible event like war be an art? Hurt Locker is undoubtedly one of those very few war movies which somehow explains this philosophy. War is indeed horrible but art is not always romantic either.
The movie begins right at ground zero in Iraq, where bomb squad technicians are trying to diffuse a bomb. This courageous group comprises of soldiers who are ready to challenge against the odds and risk their lives everyday. Sergeant Sanborn & Specialist Eldridge are already mentally exhausted after loosing their team leader in a deadly blast, to make the matter worst they are joined by a cowboy personality, James (Jeremy Renner) who just does not seem to fear anything. He is willing to step into the deadliest fields without even hint of hesitation. When he is introduced to the audience, it feels like we are witnessing another Hollywood reckless hero but as the movie unfolds, he turns out to be much deeply realized character with uncanny decision making ability in highly critical situations of life and death. It feels mysterious the way he behaves with extreme alertness with willingness to face life threatening situations as if he cannot live without pulse raising acts. He resembles to those sportspersons who get addicted to drugs when they are not on the field because their daily life just does not seem to be exciting enough! The uniqueness of the James lies in his hatred for war. He hates unwanted battles but he cannot live without it!
Kathryn Bigelow is in commanding position in direction, realizing all the characters with distinguished landscapes. She has succeeded in taking care of minute details to fill up the frame with the most believable images of posttraumatic era in ragged Iraq.
What makes‘ Hurt Locker’ a unique war movie? It’s action sequences? No! The sequences are breath taking but not something you have never seen before. The dramatic moments? No! Still, you will feel the agonizing pain with tiring and pulse raising stress. The script? Well, of course not. The whole story line feels like events of different timeline arranged in best possible manner, it does not feel like conventional film. Then which factor makes this movie stand out as a great war movie? Well, It’s sole philosophy on war. War can be an addictive drug.
Surely, Hurt Locker is an Oscar contender this year for best movie and best direction. Watch out Avatar!
Running time: 130 minutes. Rated R (profanity, graphic violence).
Deep Panjwani
universalexperiment@yahoo.co.in
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