dvd review: The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is the story of a U.S. bomb squad in Baghdad in 2004. It's a raw, honest war movie. It's hard to watch at times because it's intense. 


It's very, very good, but it is not quite great. Is it worth seeing? Yes, I think it illuminates the war in a way still photos, news footage and articles cannot. It's important to have a richer understanding of war and this war. Each scene opens with a graphic of the number of days the unit has left on their tour. What keeps this movie from being great as a movie is the lack of transcendence. Much of the film feels like a documentary, which is fine. When a story makes an appearance, it feels out of line with the rest of the movie. Perhaps there's too much side story or perhaps there's not enough. Either way, it was a nice break from the constant stress and tension, but it didn't quite work for me.


See this movie. It's not easy to watch, and at times it reminded me of a modern Saving Private Ryan. It's not a movie I'll want to watch again, but I am glad I saw it.There's some fantastic acting, and Kathryn Bigelow is a very talented director.


Awards: It's nominated for two Golden Globes, Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director


Rating: 4.25 stars (out of 5)
Running time: 130 minutes
Release: it's on dvd, and you can buy it in Blu-Ray too
Source: Netflix


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