THE HURT LOCKER
US, 2008, 131 minutes, Colour.
Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
Another film about Iraq, stong films (like Redacted, Rendition, Lions for Lambs (Afghanistan), In the Valley of Elah, The Battle of Haditha, Stop-Loss) which were not popular with the US public in 2007-2008. Too close to the bone? Too critical of American involvement in the invasion of Iraq, government policy, the waging of the war and the destructive and devastating consequences?
The Hurt Locker is one of the most critical of these films. It is based on articles written by Mark Boas (also the basis for In the Valley of Elah) after he spent time as an embedded journalist with a specialist
bomb-diffusing squad. As plots go, the film is generally a succession of missions to defuse, so detailed that the audience will feel that they have almost been embedded as well. The dangers and the risks are palpable. As one of the squad, with obsessive pessimism continually gnawing at him, states: that to be in Iraq is to be dead.
There is a quotation at the opening of the film which tells us that war is a drug. This is illustrated by the central character William James (Jeremy Renner) who is described by an officer as a Wild Man, whose actions are reminiscent of the cowboys (or, rather, the gunslingers). A young boy who sells fake DVDs and plays soccer with James and calls himself 'Beckham', asks him if he is a gangster. He kind of agrees.
The opening of the film shows a fatal incident - and will remind audiences of science-fction films from 2001 to Star Wars as the leader puts on the protective gear reminiscent of a space walk and uses robots for discovery - until a wheel literally falls off. The tension is always intense, the support officer is on the alert for hostile movement, the crowds look on, the huge bomb is in the middle of a Bagdad street and a bystander detonates the device.
With the cumulative effect of the missions, and the reminder that there are lessening numbers of days for the squad's tour, we realise we would want to be out of there. Yet James is a gunslinger, does not seem to
have any fear, takes off his protective gear, removes his earphones and takes all kinds of risks, even when the clean-up squad is ready to move in. We see a car parked at the UN headquarters with a cunningly concealed bomb. We see a cluster of bombs buried in a street. A boy is in a warhouse, a bomb inside his body. An innocent man is set up with explosives bound to him by steel and with a short timer. His assistant (Anthony Mackie) is angry with him and the other member (Brian Gerraghty) fears that James' recklessness will get him killed.
There is an interlude out in the desert but the group are pinned down under fire.
There seems virtually no relief, except some horsing around, drinking or the fake DVDs.
As with most of the Iraq films, the American soldiers are shown as automatically suspicious of every 'Hajji' and very limited in their knowledge of the language, relying on shouting, swearing, gun threats and intimidation.
At the end, we do get some relief as we go back to the US, but James is addicted, overwhelmed by shopping in the supermarket by endless rows of cereal choices (like Oliver Stone's sequence in Heaven and Earth), and wants to return.
The point is being made that for the average soldier and, perhaps for commanders as well, is that they are not fighting for a cause or ideals but just fighting and, for some, that is an addiction.
There are very brief cameos from Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes and David Morse. The Hurt Locker is suprisingly from a woman director, Kathryn Bigelow, although she has made some strong male bonding and conflicting films like Point Break and K9 - the Widowmaker.
Winner of the SIGNIS award in Venice 2008 (as was In the Valley of Elah in 2007).
1.The impact of the film? Awards? Critique? The war, war in itself, Iraq? US presence, policy, aggression? The quotation about war being an addiction?
2.Baghdad, the city, streets, buildings, the UN, the bomb sites, the desert and the attack? The musical score?
3.The screenplay based on a journalist and his living in with the bomb experts, his reports? Authentic?
4.The audience and the stances on the war in Iraq, pro and con, pro-US or not? The experience of the invasion, the war? The consequences in terms of human life, suffering? Suicide bombers? The insurgents?
5.The films on the Iraq war, contemporary – and the poor box-office in the United States?
6.The initial mission, Thompson and his character, leadership, competence, the robot, uncovering the cloth, the accident with the wheel, donning the special clothing, Sanborn and his cover, wary of snipers, the crowds, watching, the bomb itself, the timing, the butcher exploding the device? Thompson’s death?
7.The introduction to the squad, their specialist work, their skills in defusing bombs, the risks they ran, the dangers, the aftermath, packing up Thompson’s clothes, relaxing, fighting and drinking?
8.Eldridge and the voice of fear, paranoia, ‘everyone in Iraq is dead’? Talking with the doctor, insulting him about his being behind a desk? The doctor going on patrol, talking with the people with the cart, killed by the bomb?
9.The American attitude towards the Iraqis, calling them Hajis, not knowing their language, the brusque and brutal orders? Suspicions of any Iraqi? The boys, the selling of the DVDs, the boy calling himself Beckham? The boy with the bomb inside him?
10.William James, his arrival, the cowboy attitude, the gunslinger, Beckham calling him Gangster? His relationship with Sanborn, Sanborn questioning him, his explanation of himself, the attack of trailer trash? The clashes? Going on the mission, going alone? The UN, the evacuations, the car, the search for the bomb and his inability to find it in the expected places? Finding it, dismantling it? Keeping the parts as souvenirs under his bed? The dangers, the bombs in the street, the man with the camera, the signals, friendly waving or not? The multi-stranded bombs? The insights into James’s character, going out on his own, the search in the streets, his leading Eldridge into danger? The boy with the bomb inside him, his concern, going further than was required, ignoring the fact that the professional squads were coming? In the desert, encounter with the British, their being under siege, his patience in the sun, his sights, advising Sanborn when to fire? Sacrificing the drink? His meeting the commanding officer, the officer calling him a wild man, asking how many bombs he had defused, praising him? Sanborn and his punching him because of not obeying? The later drinking and the wrestling? His going out searching for the killer of Beckham? Discovering that it was not Beckham? His suspicions with the DVD seller? Going to the house, intruding, the professor, his welcoming him, his wife and her attack, his running away, the return to base, the harsh treatment, the sentry asking about the brothel? His mission to the man with the timer, gung-ho attitude, trying to help him, failing, the explosion? The aftermath? Phoning his wife but not speaking to her? The discussion with Sanborn about having a son? Going home, his wife, the boy, playing with the games, peeling and preparing the vegetables? Going to the supermarket, getting the goods, the vast array of cereals – when everything is the same? Going back, his year of service? War as a drug?
11.Sanborn, his work in intelligence, black man, his service with Thompson, helping him, the grief? Meeting James, the questions? Going on the mission, on guard, the snipers, watching the people with suspicion? Eldridge and his pessimism? James and his taking off his headphones, anger, orders, punching him? The other missions, out in the desert, his firing, the men on the roof, at the window? His getting a drink? The risks? The search beyond the call of duty? Eldridge wounded and taking him back? His change, wanting to leave, wanting a son?
12.Eldridge, his age, experience, fears, obsession about dying? Talks with the doctor, the casual talks while he fixed cars? His worry about James and the risks? In the desert, firing, asking permission? His being injured, the helicopter and his anger as he left? His grief at the doctor’s death? The doctor’s help, his shaming him to go out on action?
13.The British, the siege, their captives, important captives with a bounty? The commander, the discussions, firing on the attackers, their deaths? The captives escaping? The Americans shooting the snipers on the building, the roof, the window? On the rail line with the cattle?
14.The Iraqis, the jibes, the Americans not learning the language, everybody suspect? The Iraqis not obeying orders instantly, the taxi driver and his stubbornness, being backed out? The man asking about California? The threats, the friendly waves? The butcher and the explosion? The onlookers, the men with the timer which was dismantled? Their escape? The man with the camera? Beckham, playing, selling DVDs, the man with the cart? The boy as a bomb?
15.The anti-war stance of the film, critique of American policy, war as a drug, the difference between fighting and ideology and ideals? The consequences of the war?
