The Hurt Locker (2008)

Director:

Kathryn Bigelow

Writer (WGA):

Mark Boal (written by)

Release Date:

10 October 2008 (Italy)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

You'll know when you're in it.

Plot:

Iraq. Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | Sergeant | Army | Death | Soldier

Awards:

8 wins & 7 nominations

US Showtimes:

Beverly Center Cinemas

4:05pm

(personalize)

Cast

Jeremy Renner	...	SSgt. William James
Anthony Mackie	...	Sgt. JT Sanborn
Brian Geraghty	...	Spc. Owen Eldridge
Guy Pearce	...	Sgt. Matt Thompson
Ralph Fiennes	...	Contractor Team Leader
David Morse	...	Colonel Reed
Evangeline Lilly	...	Connie James
Christian Camargo	...	Col. John Cambridge
Suhail Aldabbach	...	Black Suit Man (as Suhail Al-Dabbach)
Christopher Sayegh	...	Beckham
Nabil Koni	...	Professor Nabil
Sam Spruell	...	Contractor Charlie
Sam Redford	...	Contractor Jimmy
Feisal Sadoun	...	Contractor Feisal
Barrie Rice	...	Contractor Chris

Also Known As:

Ölümcül tuzak (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Démineurs (France) [fr]
Estado de Guerra (Portugal) (literal title) [pt]
Guerra ao Terror (Brazil) (DVD title) [pt]
Tödliches Kommando - The Hurt Locker (Germany) [de]
The Hurt Locker (Argentina) (festival title) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for war violence and language.

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45024) | Ireland:15A | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | UK:15 | Germany:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Amman, Jordan

Company:

First Light Production

Trivia:

The Jordanian military provided security for the film. Military were stationed outside of production sets and outside of hotels where cast and crew were staying.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where James attempts to disarm the man wearing the bomb vest we clearly see the victim's explosives are lined with row upon row of nails. Yet when the victim explodes and James is caught within the blast radius his protective suit is remarkably nail free.

Quotes:

Staff Sergeant William James: This box is full of stuff that almost kill me.

Soundtrack:

Khyber Pass

Exceptional War Film

After a long break, director Kathryn Bigelow returns with 'The Hurt Locker', and shows why she is one of the most exciting film-makers working today.

Following a particular bomb squad currently serving in Iraq, the film shows the conflict on a number of different levels. From the ground-level troops, to the commanding officers, to the civilians who witness every intense stand-off on a daily basis, 'The Hurt Locker' puts the viewer on the front line.

Where other war-related films revel in the action-orientated battle scenes, Bigelow deliberately drains all the excitement and popcorn approach from the scenes involving gunplay and bombings, making for a much more natural, realistic effect.

The interaction between the U.S soldiers is first-rate, showing how the Bush government's ham-fisted invasion of Iraq has affected the troops' effectiveness on the ground, and its alliance with Iraqi civilians.

Performances are perfect. Jeremy Renner is excellent as Staff Sergeant James, who loves the rush of disarming bombs, even if it means putting his fellow soldiers at risk. Anthony Mackie is great as the level-headed Sanborn, while Brian Geraghty scores strongly as Eldridge, who admires both James and Sanborn, but can't decide which side to take.

A great companion piece to Brian DePalma's criminally under-rated 'Redacted', 'The Hurt Locker' is an incredibly vivid, technically brilliant drama that shows that the people who suffer the most during war are the ones who have to experience it first-hand, and that a war plan half-completed can only lead to disaster. It is also great to see Kathryn Bigelow ('Near Dark'/'The Loveless'/'Strange Days'/'Point Break'/'K-19 : The Widowmaker') back, showing once again what a terrific film-maker she is.