The Hurt Locker

Locations
Call Number: DVD Action Hurt
On Shelf At: Malletts Creek Branch, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Malletts Adult A/V 1-week checkout	DVD Action Hurt	1-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult A/V 1-week checkout	DVD Action Hurt	1-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult A/V 1-week checkout	DVD Action Hurt	1-week checkout	On Shelf

DVD release of the 2008 motion picture.
Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Christian Camargo, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Guy Pearce.
US Army Staff Sergeant Will James, Sergeant J.T. Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge comprise the Bravo Company's bomb disposal unit stationed in Baghdad. James is the tech team leader. When he arrives on the scene, Bravo Company has thirty-nine days left on its current deployment, and it will be a long thirty-nine days for Sanborn and Eldridge whose styles do not mesh with their new leader. James' thrill of the dismantlement seems to be the ultimate goal regardless of the safety of his fellow team members, others on the scene or himself. On the other hand, Sanborn is by the books: he knows his place and duty and trusts others in the army to carry out theirs as well as he. Eldridge is an insecure soldier who is constantly worried that an error or misjudgment on his part will lead to the death of an innocent civilian or a military colleague. While the three members face their own internal issues, they have to be aware of any person at the bomb sites, some of who may be bombers themselves.
DVD ; widescreen presentation ; Dolby Digital 5.1 (English and Spanish), 2.0Dolby surround (English).

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Very moving submitted by Daniel Saltzman on March 13, 2010, 2:08pm There is a reason this movie beat out Avatar at the 2010 Academy Awards- it inspires emotions through more than pretty pictures and is original. Not for the faint of heart, this movie bluntly explores some of what it means to be in EOD in the Middle East, without being colored by propaganda or throwing in pointless side plots to please viewers. Watch it, but keep your 10 year-old in their room.

A Last-Second Bomb submitted by CasualTim on April 6, 2010, 7:09pm It's not lightly that I criticize this Oscar winner for Best Picture. But, I do.

In general, "The Hurt Locker" is a visually stunning film that looks at a different aspect of war than we're used to seeing. I don't feel like the general story arc or the message are much different from other modern war films, but this one looks good and its scenes are interesting and disorienting enough to warrant attention. Much of it feels real, much of it feels heavy and it shows a moderately skilled hand at crafting tension.

Which may be why the end of this film is so unforgivable. Change the soundtrack and it would only be disappointing. Edit the sound so the last line in the film is audible (which it's not, even after playing it four times), and it would only be typical. Don't do any of this, and you have a film that doesn't know what it's spent 125 minutes saying. That wants to make sure the pubescent masculine demographic still tell their friends that "this movie is freaking awesome!" That is more about ducking out the side door, leaving the story standing, as it were, in a cold breeze in its underthings, than was "Lost in Translation."

To be perfectly clear, I'm not arguing against what happens at the end. With the proper treatment, this is the conclusion to the film that says the most. And it's a striking example of the power of music and attitude in cinema, the way this conclusion - the correct and proper conclusion - can nearly ruin the movie when given the absolute worst treatment possible.

This film is worth watching to anyone who hasn't been there. It's worth it for the reminder that there are things happening that we can never understand. Just, for goodness' sake, hit stop immediately after you see the protagonist mumble inaudibly to his child.

5/10

Completely Deserved the Best Picture Oscar submitted by pkooger on April 20, 2010, 10:07am The Hurt Locker was one of the best films I've seen in a long time. I loved Avatar, Up, District 9, and Up In The Air, as well as some of the other nominees for the 2010 Best Picture Academy Award, but The Hurt Locker won, and rightly so.

The film is beautifully crafted and tricks you into thinking the carnage beautiful with its slow motion captures of exploding roadside bombs and its shimmering deserts seen through the scope of a sniper rifle. The film opens with a quotation from a New York Times war correspondent who states that "War is a drug." By the end of the film we understand the allure and know why the protagonist walks off the plane with adrenaline in his veins and rock music in his ears. In this world he is a powerful man, one with the ability and the taste for looking death in the face and beating it. You can tell this film is expertly written and acted because the viewer can see inside the heads of each of the characters without a lot of exposition.

The soldiers and specialists in the film are good at what they do, but that by no means guarantees their safety. This film has long stretches of incredible tension. There aren't any cheap tricks like false alarms and jangly music to make you jump. It simply lays out the scene and lets you know how close everyone is to death at each second. In one scene the protagonist is frantically searching a car with a bomb in the trunk, trying to figure out how to defuse it, while a group of men (clearly the bomb-makers) are watching calmly from a nearby rooftop, hoping for his death. One of the men has a video camera. It makes me shiver just thinking about it.

As Roger Ebert said, this film is nearly perfect.

good submitted by honordenver on June 26, 2011, 4:57pm great movie

tempting submitted by bbelalggazali on June 30, 2011, 7:43pm 100% amazing haha

what joy thinks submitted by joiemma on July 1, 2011, 7:19pm ok

good submitted by readingking on July 14, 2011, 12:00pm good movie

rocky... submitted by lekendrick on January 7, 2012, 11:46am won best picture as well! It's great example liberal guilt propel in the thompson death open movie senator same name it's many allusions debate home side & sorry be said, but as for tone war being prosecuted I'd like think on the level! Boring enough it's gotta be oscar quality & different black hawk down for example as not mash korea, but war we'd won @ least no closed policing action waiting for anglo-afghan four war movie turn honor in slaughtered!

battle submitted by ftan on July 16, 2012, 9:19pm this movie was the most prominent enemy/opponent for high awards against James' Cameron's, Avatar. in fact, the hurt locker was directed by his ex-wife! politics aside, it was a touching and well made film

Very good movie submitted by denisemw on August 26, 2023, 4:54pm Watched this recently after seeing it when it was originally released. Very good, great casting. Many scenes are memorable.