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One of the hardest
subjects to push on TV and in theatres is
the current Iraq Police Action. Most films
had a hard time not taking sides, and when
they do there is always the chance they
will alienate a portion of their intended
audience. This is beginning to lighten up
though as more and more the American public
is starting to wake up the realities of
how wrong this war is, was, and always will
be. The knowledge that our government is
continuing to send our soldiers into an
unnecessary conflict merely to line their
own pockets is a cold, hard fact…
but a fact nonetheless. What makes it more
difficult now is that it has gotten so bad
that our current administration cannot figure
out how to clean up this embarrassing mess.
And our families keep dying…
That said, director Kathryn Bigelow, who
has made some excellent films in her career…
has opted to throw her hat in the Iraq ring
with “The Hurt Locker.”
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Wisely however, she chooses to stay completely
away from the political aspect of the war. Instead
she focuses the camera where it should be focused,
on the soldiers living and dying on the other
side of the world. And she gives us a glimpse
into what our men and women are experiencing every
day in this hostile environment.
In “The Hurt Locker”, we are introduced
to Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner),
Sergeant Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), and Specialist
Eldridge (Brian Geraghty). Three men brought together
for a specific purpose. Their job is to sniff
out and investigate improvised explosive devices.
Carefully camouflaged so as not to be seen by
the average soldier, these death dealing (often
roadside) bombs have taken more of our soldiers
away from their families than any other weapon
since the ‘war’ began. Teams such
as the one here, find them… and hopefully
diffuse them… all while trying to stay alive.
Bigelow is no stranger to action, and “The
Hurt Locker” offers horrifyingly realistic
action as well as powerfully compelling performances
by its cast. Jeremy Renner, who has proven himself
an extremely talented (if not still relatively
unknown) actor with roles as diverse as playing
Jeffrey Dahmer, is every inch the hardened soldier
as Sgt. James. Going head to head against the
equally intense Anthony Mackie, every scene they
are in together is like a testosterone explosion.
There is not a weak link in this cast.
I received the Bluray for “The Hurt Locker”
just last week and I was hesitant to watch it.
I heard it was a powerful film, but as you might
have noticed I have some strong opinions about
this ‘war.’ The knowledge that the
political side is left out of the film convinced
me I should see it, but still I knew seeing men
die needlessly (even if in this case it was only
movie deaths) would still be difficult. And I
was right on both sides. It IS a very powerful
and emotional film and I DID hate seeing some
characters die. But it is an important film in
that it reminds us of what the men and women of
our armed forces are going through. Too often
nowadays their sacrifices are overshadowed by
NON-News items like Tiger Woods’ infidelities
(who cares???) or some reality show NON-personality’s
antics.
The transfer on this Bluray from Summit is exceptional,
but don’t always expect a sharp image. This
isn’t some big budget CGI flick with crystal
clear transforming robots. This is gritty hand
held camera action, and everything looks far more
realistic. The sound, especially if you choose
the DTS-HD 5.1, is incredible. It pulls you front
and center into the action as you can hear everything
going on ‘around’ you. Bullets whine
past your ear and bombs explode from the chair
next to you and this perfect mix puts the atmosphere
of war torn Iraq right into your living room.
In terms of extra features, there is an excellent
commentary by Bigelow and writer Mark Boal. The
two share a lot of fascinating information about
the challenges of making the film, and even some
they had after. There was no studio support to
make the film, which is touched on here, and that
came with its own logistical problems when it
came to filming in the locations they were ‘gunning’
for. Boal also shares some insight into some of
the scenes in the film that were based on real
incidents. You’ll also find a short promotional
feature with interviews and the like as well as
an image gallery. The image gallery is better
than most as you have an option to watch it in
slideshow format with either the film’s
music playing over it or the tape of Q&A session
with Bigelow and Boal.
“The Hurt Locker” is an important
film for more reasons than I can count. It offers
amazingly strong performances, gut-wrenching sequences,
and should serve as a reminder of what we’re
putting our men and women of the armed forces
through.
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian
Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Ralph Fiennes, David
Morse, Guy Pearce
Extras: Audio Commentary with Director Kathryn
Bigelow and Writer Mark Boal; Behind the Scenes
Featurette; Image Gallery
Specification: 1080p High Definition (1.78:1);
DTS-HD Master Audio
Studio: Summit
Release Date: 01/05/2010
MPAA Rating: R
http://www.summit-ent.com
We'll give The Hurt Locker (Bluray) an A.
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