The film Hurt Locker gives us a glimpse into the lives of Iraq soldiers who risk their lives on a daily basis to provide safety and provide the well-being of the community they are serving in. This is an incredibly emotional, touching, harsh, and shocking film that gives us a new perspective on life.
2. Context
A. Place the film
i. Director’s WorkThe film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal. The Hurt Locker is an Academy Award-winning 2009 American war film and is appraised by critics and audience members all over.
ii. Time when Made (historical, socio-cultural
The film was made during the Iraq War, which was the main inspiration for the film because Mark Boal was a journalist that was sent to the location to record information and events.
iii. Relation to other films
I think this film relates to any other film involving characters who have an unhealthy obsessions.
iv. Thematic Threads
The overall theme of this film is about how there are few things that you find enjoyable, but when you do find that one thing, the passion becomes an obsession and the person cannot bear to live without it.
3. Setting, Acting, Costume
A. Visual Style
The visual style of the film is very gritty looking and graphic.
B. Iconography
Objects such as tanks, guns, and bombs create the sense of danger that is necessary for a war film. People such as soldiers create the heroic image that directors usually try to show the audience. The civilians/ bombers create the damsel in distress image in which they have to be saved by the soldiers, but the bombers create also create the sense of danger and evilness.
C. Actors
The actors was an all male cast from the US. In the beginning of the film, I characterized them as arrogant, macho, and determined. As the film progressed; however, I realized that the characters are much more complex than that. All of the soldiers in the film carry some kind of emotional baggage and want to prove something of themselves. Some want to stay in Iraq and fight, while others, like the protagonist, love his duty and wants to stay forever. They are characterized as helpful, caring, brave, heroic, emotional and ambitious.
D. Production Design
The film was film on location in Jordan, within miles of the Iraqi border. It helped create the realistic sense of the movie and the atmosphere needed for the film was preserved. The costumes and props were of great use in creating the dangerous environment that the film is set in.
4. Cinematography and Lighting
A. Style- realistic/formalistic
The style of the film is realistic because its main topic is about a real event that occurred. The film attempts to show the audience what real life bomb squads do while they are on duty. There are no manipulations of time and space, such straight forward recordings of time with some special effects to add some entertainment. The film is just trying to show a real life issue: people volunteering to put their lives on the line to create a safer and more peaceful environment for everyone to life in.
B. Angles, Framing, Lens Choice
The director used a large variety of camera angles to cover a more suspenseful scene, such as an explosion. The framing is often tight during dramatic/emotional/personal scenes in which the characters reveal information about themselves or they reveal their most intimate thoughts. The director's lens choice is amazing, to think that the lens could capture footage in a hot and dusty environment is quite impressive.
C. Camera and actor blocking
Regarding camera and actor blocking, the director makes an establishing shot, then the camera zooms into a waist shot, and CU for dialogues. The height of the camera is not raised incredibly high, only to emphasize the tension during the scene in which the main character (the bomb diffuser) realizes there are multiple bombs trying to kill him.
D. Dominant Imagery/Icons/Color
Bombs are the dominant objects in the film, the recurring image represents the cruelty of the world, how people are corrupt. The soldiers, the icons, are the heroes that deserve to be praised and saluted, they are the main focus of the film. The colors green and orange-red are most dominant in the film. The green emphasizes the positive-ness that the soldiers are bringing into the chaotic community of war. The orange-red represent the chaos and danger that emphasizes the tension/ suspense that is involved in military duty (the enormous explosions, blood. etc).
E. Camera Distance/ Proxemics, Territorial Design, Open vs. Closed forms
The camera is very close to the action in the film, demonstrating the suspense of each scene. The camera is distant when capturing establishing shots and trying to cover every corner of an area during an event. The film is composed of open forms, where the intimate aspects of reality is shown and formal beauty is sacrificed for truth.
F. Light Design-Key and Contrast
Because the film is shot on-location, sunlight and fluorescent was used as a light source. There isn't much low key lighting during the film, since most often the bomb squad is on duty during the day. The most prominent light contrast was during the scene where there was a mass explosion and fire was spreading from place to place. the fire provided the light source and it contrasted with the nighttime darkness.
5. Editing
A. Style
There was rarely any visible editing done on the film, because I believe the creators of the film favored content over form. I think they wanted to preserve the realism of the topic and any visible/ fancy editing would take the meaning away.
B. Manipulations of time and speed
The only time that time and speed is manipulated is in the beginning when the first bomb squad team leader is blasted by a bomb. We first see fast cutting between soldiers and then we see the bomb detonate. This is when time is slowed down. I can visualize it now. The fireball of the explosion rising into the sky, the sand rising up from the ground, the rust from a car being shaken off, and the bomb squad leader falling dramatically to the ground, instantly dead.
C. Length of cuts and pacing
The lengths of the cuts depends on the situation. The pacing is usually slow, and the lengths of the shots long when the characters are discussing a personal issue, or when there is a dramatic/ emotional event happening (someone just died or the team leader is trying to diffuse a bomb). During fighting scenes the pacing is fast and the lengths of the shots are much faster. This is to create the rush of adrenalin and pull interest out of the audience.
D. Narrative techniques such as flashbacks/forwards, parallel action
The narrative is pretty linear throughout the film. However, as the film comes to a close, a flash-forward is used. When the main character confesses to his son that he is addicted to war, we are taken into the near future where he returns to duty, once again risking his life in a life or death battle.
E. Montage or Visual Metaphor
In the beginning of the film, a limping cat is shown. These two cats contrast each other. The limping cat represents the vulnerable civilians that have their lives endangered by the bombs that exist. The cat seems to be showing that the community in which it lives in is no longer safe and that it needs some outside source to nurse him back to health (the soldier's protection/ destruction of the bombs).
6. Score
A. Style
The music style is fast tempo and compliments the action that is happening during the film. It gives the film "the bad boys are in town" feeling and effectively makes the film be more unique. I also noticed some local music incorporated into the film to make the film more authentic.
B. Repeated Motifs
The sounds of gunfire are repeated constantly throughout the film, probably representing the hatred that the soldiers have toward their enemies. The loud, rapid sounds of bullets coming from the guns are their harsh feelings releasing from their hearts.
C. Foley or FX
Most likely the sounds of the explosions and gunfire are sounds recreated by the creators of the film, because it is unlikely that the actors actually fired their guns.
D. Synchronous/Nonsynchronous
The film uses synchronous sounds most often, where the audience sees the object that makes a certain sound and it is obvious what it is. For example, when a the man strapped in multiple bombs blows up, we actually witness him dying. Another example includes the sand rising from the ground during a explosion. We hear the crackling of the mixture of tiny rocks and dirt, emphasizing the devastation the bomb created.
7. Script
A. Narrative Structure/ Style
The narrative is linear throughout the film and thus, is easy to follow. There is no narration at all, just character dialogue.
B. Character Driven vs Plot Driven
I believe that the film is character driven because it is the characters' actions and decisions that depict what the next event will be. But of course what the characters do in the film are, of course, controlled and decided by the director and writer. This issue is debatable: character or plot driven?
C. Nature of Dialogue
The nature of the dialogue is very informal. Swear words are used consistently to show the characters' wild personalities. The dialogue is very realistic and it is just basic soldier to soldier communication.
D. Use of humor, subtext or irony
I believe the title, the Hurt Locker is a subtext itself. It hides a deeper meaning, that the soldiers' hearts are a "hurt locker" or in other words places where they hide their pain. Everyday they encounter deaths of civilians, the loss of friends, and the pain of being away from loved ones. Of course as men they feel the need to preserve their tough image, so they lock away their true feelings inside of them. These feelings and thoughts will eventually accumulate until the character might lose themselves.
E. Thematic message/Archetypes/ Myth
I think a common misunderstanding is that fighting in a war is not all that glamorous and wonderful. Young men join the military believing that you are serving your country, but they fail to realize what they've gotten themselves into: years of struggle, daily life threats, and harsh treatment by the environment you are stationed in.
8. Genre
A. Features determining Genre
The soldiers, weapons, and battles determine that the film is a action based. But, the topics discussed among the soldiers and with their families and understanding the personal struggle they endure also determines that the film is drama based. The film is a action drama.
9. Closing Remarks
The Hurt Locker is a very powerful film that truly deserves a proud acclaim. It's message is quite clear: that war can be a drug as it does make soldiers be addicted to it. Their addictions causes them to value war over their family members. I like the topic of the film because it focuses on issues that impact a lot of people. The film is a great illustration of reality, and does not create a illusion of life, a temporary fantasy where when the film is over the audience returns to reality, disappointed. The film reminds me that though there is evil that exists, there are also those who are determined to fight for the well-being of the people of this Earth. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film and I congratulate the the creators for the film's amazing cinematography, underlying theme, and talented actors. Kudos to you.
