Review of Zero Dark Thirty (2012) by Christopher G — 26 Dec 2013

Three years after Kathryn Bigelow, after a relatively quiet few-decade-long film directing career, really showed what she was capable of with the Iraq war masterpiece The Hurt Locker, she comes with a movie far more ambitious, and also quite a bit more controversial, about the decade long search for Osama Bin Laden from 9/11 until (no spoiler alert necessary) he was killed in a raid operation by navy seals, called Zero Dark Thirty. It absolutely lives up to, if not surpasses, her previous Oscar winning effort.

Bigelow's passion for this subject is in just about every shot, with immense detail, cold bluntness, and enough humanity to keep it from being too oppressing. Actually for a two and a half hour film it's quite efficient filmmaking, jam-packed with numerous interrogations and investigation tactics (the torture stuff that has garnered controversy is only a very small part of that) shaking real life terrorist attacks, and political wrangling, yet it's never confused or disjointed. Even towards the end with the recreations of the raid on the compound in Pakistan done very deliberately, the pacing is never betrayed with consistent movement and direction; it's a scene that plays out as much mystery more as suspense as the seal team goes from room to room blowing out locked doors and not knowing for certain if the main target is there.

The movie's structure, with one main character, Maya a member of the CIA played brilliantly by Jessica Chastain, taking a part in virtually every aspect of this manhunt, with other people revolving in their various tasks around her, was the perfect choice. If one person really did have this much impact on the manhunt we'll probably never know for sure, but in this film it's played out believably and compellingly, and though no one can match her neither is anyone else insignificant to how it plays out. Characters with only a few scenes have noticeable impacts. But with Maya is the emotion, determination, the sassiness and intelligence of a woman who evolves in nuanced but never uninteresting ways.

Zero Dark Thirty is an incredible achievement, and in my mind candidate for best film made so far this decade. It has brought about an important debate, but more significantly it covers ten years of the war on terror in prime fashion. Bigelow plays for high realism but she also knows how to create great drama by stretching it but never breaking those confines. Every scene belongs for a purpose and never does it feel like one is missing; that in itself is an incredible achievement. Credit her, the cast, and, not to forget, the great script by Mark Boal.