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I've no idea how you'll be able to catch this at the moment as it was previously released in the cinemas in October, however if you do have the means be sure not to miss this war film that throws you right into the midst of a perilous agenda of a 3-men EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) squad assigned on duty in Baghdad, Iraq. Adrenaline filled suspense, terror and exhilarating excitement creeps within your soul via the goosebumps induced on your skin with every tick of the bomb second. This is nothing short of a well-crafted film that draws upon not just your expectations placed on these men dealing dangerous business but also fuses critical life-and-death moments together with boiling emotions complicated by morally implicated decisions posed at the disposal of the squad. Sporting a synergic cast with an outstanding male lead acting performance, it convinces the audience and gets them to feel and believe whatever the film wants them to. With multiple nominations and awards already won (as I'm penning this, this film has won the Best Picture and Best Actor award from the National Society of Film Critics 2009), what's more to be said?
Heroes are the men and women who wield courage as an example to others, this is especially true of military personnel assigned explosive duties in an EOD squad. For those in the unknown, EOD deals with the critical disarmament and disposal of explosive devices (in the case of Baghdad streets, improvised explosive devices) by a team of professional bomb technicians. Staff Sergeant William James is one such man who inspired his team to success against tenacious bomb makers who serve to terrorize the streets of Baghdad. With zero room for error, this task was never meant for ordinary human beings in the first place. Yet we see these brave men filling the spots to take on the arduous demanding duty to protect the citizens and their fellow military brothers against blasting threats. Several constraining factors induced upon the life and death of many have not deterred SSG James, instead we see him donning a reckless 'cowboy' demeanour at every mission disregarding protocols that worried his new team mates initially before gradually accepting it by seeing him as their main pillar of support with every close brushing encounter with death.
On top of the brilliant cast ensemble featured, it is applaudable for the vision of modern warfare through female director Kathryn Bigelow. War films are usually envisioned by the big boys, made for the big boys within the audience. This war film is however, different from the past. The Hurt Locker displays how the modern day warfare has evolved into, and what implications of reality exist within the scope of the brave men and women who are serving their duty of defence in regions no one has ever wanted to step foot upon. We see how SSG James conducts his own internal conflict between choosing the life of his own and that of an innocent man with a chained bomb vest on him. Victims who were not even entitled to ample time for prayers before imminent death, that's how cruel an explosive-induced death can be. With every second of the ticking device screaming at you to be quick on the right thing to perform, it is stressful for both the bomb technicians and the victims. Welcome to the modern day warfare: Terrorism - striking fear in the hearts of every single soul surrounding the source of terror.
This film revolves around several bomb threat missions and a personal favourite shootout scene in the middle of this film. We see snipers working in team, where everyone has a task to perform. One handles the rifle, the other performs the look-out scouting, and the third attempts to assist with jammed ammunition and support. It's no solo Rambo saving the day and it enhances the importance of teamwork. After presuming that the surrounding is clear of hostiles, the team still remains in its alert mode and waits for a seemingly long period before being highly ascertained that all threats have been eliminated. Once again, this is a great display of seemingly real-life modern warfare.
This is one of the best films to catch for the year 2009 in my personal opinion. With several nominations and awards in the bag already, I'm convinced that there are people with me on this. Let's see if The Hurt Locker convinces for a win with the Golden Globe looming near.
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