The Hurt Locker

Kathryn Bigelow’s film begins with the premise that “war is a drug” -- and then delivers repeated strong doses. This ambiguity of motive in the movie prevents me from joining in whole-hearted acclaim. I cannot dispute that the film is well-made, and provides a useful “you are there” feel for what American servicemen (no women -- except the director!) have experienced in Iraq. But for me the gold standard is still Generation Kill, which has many more dimensions than this stripped-down action flick. Yes, the action is cleanly and brilliantly depicted, but its implications are slighted. Is this a recruiting pitch for adrenaline-junkies? You could not ask for a more vivid demonstration of what a bomb disposal unit does when confronted by an IED, and what the battlefield is really like in Iraq. But larger questions hang in the air and remain unaddressed. As a portrait of men at work, it is unsurpassed, but as a portrait of the men themselves, it leaves plenty to ask. I found the characters sometimes obvious and sometimes obtuse. Jeremy Renner brings great intensity of focus to his job, along with bravura nonchalance, but I don’t see the Best Actor nomination. All the other characters seem genuine enough, except for a straw man military psychologist, but none engaged me deeply. I went in expecting more than sharply delineated action sequences, but found myself remote from any deeper involvement in meaning or motivation. Is this just another movie that loves to blow things up, with only an added dose of reality? (2009, dvd.) *7* (MC-94.)