A war film unlike any other, The Hurt Locker examines a group of Army bomb squad soldiers in Iraq and the extreme toll the horrors of war and the debilitating awareness of imminent death takes on their lives. Incredibly suspenseful from the start, the pressure and paranoia to get the job done never lets up, and though the balance between realism and personalized fiction seems to shift more towards the latter further into the turmoil, few films can boast war scenes of such a gloriously intense magnitude.

After the leader of an Army bomb squad unit in Iraq is tragically killed, brash-but-experienced bomb technician William James (Jeremy Renner) is brought in to replace his command. His new squad includes Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty); the trio must learn to trust each other through their various, always perilous missions, constantly coping with the daily reminders of the fragility of human life and the infinite dangers surrounding their every move.

“War is a drug” states the opening quote by author Chris Hedges. That idea isn’t fully revisited until the conclusion when The Hurt Locker resorts to being a mouthpiece for soldier’s mentalities, the regimentation of their lives and their inability to reinsert themselves back into the world they knew before. It seems an unnecessary effort, considering the incredible amount of raw suspense and nail-biting action that drives the majority of the film. It’s a small dose of political agenda, leaving the rest to be solidly entertaining, proving once again that director Kathryn Bigelow can handle action movies like the best of them.

The Hurt Locker is partly a biopic of a fictionalized EOD specialist, and part pseudo-documentary about a tension-wrought Bravo Company 40 day rotation. Instead of focusing on a story arc that separates specific villains and related events, the film chronicles several unrelated bomb missions and the tolls they have on fellow soldiers, Iraqi citizens and James’ beliefs and methodology. Without catching those responsible or even hunting specific terrorists, The Hurt Locker relies on tremendously powerful imagery, adrenaline-fix recklessness, mental stresses and an obsession with death, heart-stopping explosions, camaraderie, Full Metal Jacket-influenced commanding officer execution thoughts, and enough suspenseful intensity to level a movie theater. It’s borderline humorous the way Bigelow toys with the audience, setting up extreme anticipation for the next detonation or ambush, pouncing on the viewer’s senses like a horror film.

Being a bomb squad technician is like a roll of the dice, a high-pressure, high-stakes risk that demands a sound mind and a dizzyingly calm intelligence. There is no room for error, and actor Jeremy Renner provides a believable hero – one who demonstrates a daredevil disregard for protocol and safety that might just be a mask for a man whose perfectly-honed skills are the mark of an uncompromising professional. The supporting cast is superb, as are the sound effects and numbingly immersive camerawork. Witnessing a different side of the Iraqi war zone, a modern battlefield, coupled with real-life sacrifice and heroism is powerful, alluring, and eye-opening entertainment.

- The Massie Twins

 

Click HERE to read the Exclusive Interview with "The Hurt Locker" star Jeremy Renner

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