Great Films of the 21st Century: The Hurt Locker (2009)

 

With theaters still not operating fully, for the most part, many of us look to streaming services to watch movies, whether they're new or not so new. "Great Films of the 21st Century" explores the films I have seen in my career as a film critic and consider to be the best thus far. Be sure to check them out on whichever streaming service you subscribe to. 

The Hurt Locker 

Director: Kathryn Bigelow 

Stars: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Ralph Fiennes. 

Rated: R (for war violence and language). 

In an early scene of “The Hurt Locker,” Army Sgt. Will James (Jeremy Renner) takes off a massive protective suit before trying to defuse a bomb in Iraq. The suit is meant to take the brunt of a blast should his attempts fail. Mind you the suit makes him look like the Michelin Man and he’s having to wear this in 100+ degree temperatures. 

His reason for doing away with protocol? If he’s going to die, he may as well die while comfortable, he says. 

Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film starts along a familiar path with a character we’ve all seen before. He’s a maverick who lives by his own rules. Being so good at what he does affords him that opportunity. 

Fortunately for us, Bigelow doesn’t stay on that path very long. The film follows James for the last month of his tour of duty. He and two others are part of a bomb squad unit. James does the defusing. Specialists JT Sandborn (Anthony Mackie) and Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are in charge of patrolling the bomb site’s perimeter while James does his work. 

Sandborn and Eldridge don’t like James at first. They think he’s reckless and a danger to them. On the surface, he is. But he’s also talented, the kind of guy that goes into situations where the pressure would crush a normal human being. He’s confident, just short of being cocky, and thrives on the adrenaline rush defusing gives him. 

Another trait James possesses that works well with his kind of profession is he is able to take what hurts him, what saddens him, and keep it at bay while he’s working until he’s done. Then he can emotionally collapse afterward, often out of sight of others. 

When creating a character that’s part adrenaline junkie, it’s easy to lapse into unsympathetic behavior. James could easily be that guy who has no regard for those around him as he goes after his fix. Or he may just be unaware how his search for his next thrill affects those around him. But he’s not that kind of guy. 

Sandborn and Eldridge, who want to get their tours over without incident, slowly learn they are dealing with someone special. It takes a little convincing from James himself. But eventually they see it. 

Though certainly heroic, James isn’t perfect. That’s always the case with contemporary heroes. He can’t seem to connect with his wife and doesn’t appear to know how to be a father. He feels more at home with his career. It’s what he does best. It’s what makes him the most comfortable, as odd as that may appear. 

There are going to be those who see him as a failure because he cannot live up to societal expectations placed on a spouse and father. I don’t think that would be a fair assessment.

Will James is who he is and doesn’t pretend otherwise. And it works in this case because of what he does.  That may sound overly simplistic. Were he in many other professions, this film isn’t likely to work as well. Stockbroker, no way. Lawyer, less likely. Auto mechanic, not even close. Nothing inspires the kind of suspense as a guy who defuses bombs during combat.

Renner’s acting is done with a deft touch and he’s going to be noticed after this. But so is the job done by director Kathryn Bigelow. She takes quite a bit of chances and is willing to be unpredictable, especially about which characters are expendable.

Her use of super slow motion photography is used exceptionally well.

If there are criticisms to be made here, one is that some of Bigelow’s transition scenes, those that are meant to establish something, are a bit too obtuse. And frankly, sometimes it seems as though James is allowed to work inordinately long to defuse a bomb when it would be advantageous for insurgents to detonate one as soon as American troops converge on the scene.

But this was really a pleasant surprise. The lead actors here aren’t ones you normally see. And guys like Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes and David Morse – your common leads – play secondary roles. It’s another gutsy call on Bigelow’s part.

Bigelow’s directorial guts translate to cinematic glory.