"The Hurt Locker"

By: Matt Duncan
Coastal View News

Most military heroes make their name by deftly destroying the enemy or perhaps by pulling a fellow soldier out of harm’s way; they either create ruthless havoc or shield friends from the havoc of others. In the widely acclaimed “The Hurt Locker”, one man recklessly puts himself and his friends in harm way while mastering the art of quieting the havoc. Whether or not he is a hero, this man is the Shakespeare of bomb diffusers—bold, courageous, and breathtaking to behold.

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) enters the Iraq War when his predecessor, Sergeant Matt Thompson (Guy Pearce), is killed while attempting to diffuse a bomb. James thus joins a bomb squad shaken by the loss of their beloved leader, and unfortunately, James’ brazen methodology and lackadaisical personality only serves to heighten the tensions of his new colleagues. Whereas the deceased Thompson observed every precaution and sweated the details, James slaps on the suit and strolls into harm’s way without a second thought. Thompson was visibly aware of the dangers that ended up killing him, while James seems no more concerned in fiddling with deadly bombs than he would be if he were fixing a carburetor.

James draws the ire of his equals but the praise of his superiors, the latter seeing James’ stunts as courageous and amusing. However, as time passes and countless bombs are successfully neutralized, even James’ nervous teammates cannot ignore the fact that James is a highly skilled bomb technician. He approaches a bomb with the same confidence that must have brought Rembrandt to the canvas or Mozart to the piano. He responds to the news that there is a bomb in the trunk of a car like one might respond to the news that there is a spider in the cupboard. “All right, I’ll take care of it,” he says. His confidence allows him to work quickly and efficiently, and his curiosity allows him to consider new possibilities and understand unheard of techniques employed by the enemy.

James’ teammates are counting down the days until they go home while James is playing a game. However, James’ seeming indifference to death does not keep him from feeling the pain of war. We see that he is compassionate, and is surprisingly affected by harm inflicted on others, particularly the innocent. The combination of his lack of care for the safety of himself and his extreme care for the safety of others make Sergeant James an ideal bomb diffuser. For James it is far better to save lives diffusing bombs than it is to take lives setting them off.

Each scene of “The Hurt Locker” is masterfully done. Director Kathryn Bigelow creates a realism that is both breathtakingly beautiful and devastatingly gruesome. This film is comprised of a succession of scenes that are mesmerizing and nerve-wracking; over two hours without a dull moment. What’s more, Jeremy Renner does a wonderful job as the implacable James.

And yet, this film lacks a strong narrative. While each scene is crafted well, the whole is not much more than the sum of its parts. There is no particular plot that the audience is meant to follow, meaning that we are dropped off rather near the place where we were picked up.

It certainly could be argued that this movie was a character study more than it was a war story, and what we learn of James’ character in the first half hour definitely provides the impetus for a great character study. But what is captivating about James is his peculiar indifference to death, and unfortunately what’s behind this odd character trait remains murky until the end. The first half of “The Hurt Locker”—the setup and rising action of the movie—is Oscar-worthy. But then the movie stalls, and in the end “The Hurt Locker” does not provide the climax or resolution worthy of its first half.