The Hurt Locker sees an American Army’s elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad in some very intense situations. Staff Sergeant William James takes over the team and he’s not what the other members are used to. His cavalier attitude has them fearing that, in the last few weeks of their tour, he will kill not only himself but them too. At times, it’s hard to tell if he’s incredibly brave or just a bit mad and this seems to be the issue his team has too.
While it’s obviously and American film about American soldiers during the beginning of the current Golf War, to its credit, The Hurt Locker doesn’t take sides. It doesn’t follow a clear narrative either. Sure, there’s a new guy in town and you have the feeling that it’s not going to end well, he clearly has issues and these have to be addressed, but the film is essentially a series of highly intense situations, most of which involve the handling of home made bombs or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). There also isn’t a great deal of character development but there are moments throughout the film where certain characters are shown in a very vulnerable light. This definitely helps the audience make a connection with them and offers a shift in mood from the edge-if-your-seat stuff of bomb disarmament.
One thing that bothered me about The Hurt Locker is the use of hand-held cameras throughout the majority of the film. While this technique doesn’t make me fell ill, like it does for some, I do not understand the merits of it. There were many times during this film where I could not focus on what was in front of me and let’s face it, when there’s a bomb on a timer padlocked to a man, I don’t need a shaky camera to tell me that the situation is pretty tense!
All in all I really enjoyed this film. With a stack of well deserved award nominations under its belt, The Hurt Locker is a unique look at modern war and how, for some, this can hold a great attraction.
The Hurt Locker is in cinemas now.
Rating: B
