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The Hurt Locker

Director Kathryn Bigelow crafts one superb study of the psychology of war in “The Hurt Locker,” one of the best war films to be released in recent memory.

A new sergeant, James (Jeremy Renner) takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team in Iraq. He surprises his subordinates, Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), by treating each fatal situation with reckless abandon and seeming indifference to death. The men, especially the by-the-book Sanborn, struggle to reign in their new leader as they work to disarm bombs in the heat of combat.

Acting from the whole cast is excellent, particularly Renner who plays the passionate James well. This guy eats danger for breakfast; approaching unknown bombs, taking off his bulky protective suit for comfort, outstaying his welcome among potentially unfriendly locals. James only makes the already tense situations worse for his comrades. Though he often throws caution to the wind, he can show sensibility and compassion, coaching Eldridge when he starts to crack on the battlefield. Hopefully this movie launches a long career for the talented Renner.

The first half of the movie is nonstop nail biting action. Bigelow masterfully builds tension and shift in part with the handheld camera work. That true sense of foreboding permeates the whole picture. Characters are killed lest you forget. The Iraqis watching the troops also add a very unsettling touch. Any one of them could have a detonator in hand.

A story arc that has been set up wonderfully in the first half of the film appears in the second, though it may catch you by surprise. Setups and payoffs are marvelously orchestrated. Character development happens on the battlefield and off.

“The Hurt Locker” is tense, well-acted, riveting entertainment. A must see.

Written by: Tom Helberg

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