Eat humble pie – that’s exactly what I have got to do. Ask me why? Well, that’s because of my angry tirade against the results of the Oscar awards... for choosing The Hurt Locker as the best motion picture ahead of Avatar. It was an unwarranted outburst to say the least, as I hadn't watched the movie yet. But now that I have watched The Hurt Locker, I must say that it has earned its stripes in an admirable fashion.
Set in the war-ravaged homeland of the Iraqis, this movie has all the ingredients of a multiple Oscar award-winning film. It also has loads of action and drama befitting a war film, besides being based on real-life happenings. It has good sound effects too. And the best of it all, it leaves the mind of the viewer to wonder what is going to happen next as the suspense is unbelievably high in this film!
You must be wondering why I used the term ‘unbelievingly high’ to describe the suspense of the movie. The reason behind that is because every time the three-man US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, on which the movie is centred on, is called into action, you never know when there is an insurgent lurking in the background, ready to detonate a bomb.
When you think something is going to happen, nothing happens, and when you think all is calm and secure, BOOM!
The movie starts at an intense pace. The EOD team is called in to secure an area. After the US Army clears everyone out of the danger zone, they get down to work. Ironically, just when the situation seems to be under control, disaster strikes. Of all things, a hand phone triggers a heavy bomb blast, by accident that is.
The movie offers a peak into what life is in a war-torn country like Iraq. The people there are forced to evacuate whenever there is a bomb scare, and as a result of that, they can barely go on with their daily lives. Furthermore, when the EOD team is at work, people would watch what they do with intent. Not surprising since they have got nothing better to do.
In addition to that, viewers get to have a glimpse into the lives of US Army personnel. There are the customary profanities slammed at one another every now and then, and the occasional ungodly hand gestures. Then, there is the professionalism of the US Army in carrying out these tasks, plus how they work together as a unit, though intermittent frictions are all but inevitable.
Nobody would believe that this movie cost a mere $11 million to make. I still don’t believe it, even after watching the movie as the film effects and cast among others are of the highest quality. The director, Kathryn Bigelow, who coincidently happens to be the ex-wife of James Cameron, has done a good job shooting this movie in Jordan and working on a shoestring budget.
What baffles me though to no end is the fact that The Hurt Locker didn’t get a substantial amount of publicity prior to and also after its release. I guess not many people even heard of it until it appeared in the running to win the Oscars. And now, people like me scramble madly to watch this movie.
Having said that, I cannot comment on whether The Hurt Locker fully deserves its Oscar win or not, for to compare The Hurt Locker with Avatar is tantamount to comparing Michael Schumacher with Lance Armstrong. Both movies are based on completely different storylines and have their respective plus-points.
But what I can say for sure is that The Hurt Locker belongs in the legion of the best movies ever. So, go watch it, and as I would put it, go see what’s the fuss all about.
The Verdict:
8/10
"The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug."
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