Review of The Hurt Locker (2008) by Gloriouspotato — 04 Feb 2016

As a character study, the film does a pretty decent job at exploring the psychological impact of war. Following a three man EOD team, there's no plot in the traditional sense, but we see how the group dynamics unfold and the eventual revealing of all their own hurts that were previously locked away. For example, William James' addiction to danger and inability to enjoy civilian life, and Sanborn's fear of dying unloved with no family to remember him by. This helps add a layer of complexity that subverts the idea of the unfazed and glorified soldier. This isn't anything new, but I thought it was an interesting character portrayal nonetheless. The film's erratic cinematography and effective use of sound also do a good job at heightening the tension and paranoia during particular scenes.

As a realistic portrayal of war however, I say this is where things start to fall apart. I understand that there have to be some constraints in order to get the right atmosphere and drama, but the movie frames itself as one that is supposedly realistic and ends up failing this on many fronts, mainly the ridiculous military conduct of certain characters that even average moviegoers with no army experience will recognize immediately. This somewhat detracts from the authenticity and validity of whatever message the film was trying to establish.