The Hurt Locker Analysis

1. Opening Remarks
The Hurt Locker. An ambiguous title for an equally ambiguously interpretable film. The narrative centers around Bravo Company EOD division and their rotation in the Iraq War. We are taken along on their missions and with each new task, we are revealed more about their characters. each plot development brings us closer to what their realities are in the war and how each is dealing with the constant stress of battle.

2. Context
The film was made in 2009, 6 years after the start of the Iraq War. It comes out during a waning of public support for the war and growing resentment towards the political leaders who remain indecisive. It also competes with the year's top blockbuster, Avatar, for recognition, in fact beating out the blue-planet themed film for best picture. It capitalizes on the theme of moral depravity located in a morally sun-baked landscape. The powerful message hits home with many viewers because it evokes sympathy in the viewers for the men who face death on a daily basis for our liberties, seeing as we get a glimpse into the hell of their daily routine.

3. Setting, Acting, Costume
The setting, Iraq, is no surprise for a war film about the 21st century. It's hot, dry, and merciless.
The acting to accompany the setting is in my opinion executed really well. You get the feel for each soldier's character and they all give off a stunning performance. Costume as well was nicely handled. They were very realistic and believable utility uniforms. The whole of these three serves to create a feel of realism in the whole movie, which in turn delivers a greater punch on the metaphysical level.

4. Cinematography and Lighting
The cinematography was done in the expected documentary style. Hand held takes, long duration of shots, realistic and objective capturing of footage. Although it is a documentary style of film making, it is more Hollywood in its composition. They depend largely on natural light since most of the footage is outside in the hot Middle-eastern sun, and as such, most of the film has a yellowish hue to it. Yet because this is a documentary type film, many of the staging is natural. The false feel to the movie can easily be misinterpreted to make it not seem like a work of friction.

5. Editing
The editing is done much in the same way that a Hollywood film is edited. The only difference between the two is that the Hurt Locker capitalizes more on the reality of the situation. We do see however a strong manipulation of time in the documentary in a way that completely departs from its genre. There are some situations that are repeated several times simply for the emphasis. The pacing is also different from a traditional movie, with long takes be dropped in favor of shorter, intermediate takes.

6. Score
The score in this movie is powerful, consisting of a wide range of sources, it conveys exactly the mood we're supposed to feel at that moment in the film. This is another way that it strays form a traditional documentary. We are being spoon fed what to think instead of being allowed to make our own opinions about the topic. Also, sound effects of anything at all, very well accentuating what needs to be accentuated and all sounds are essentially used. In this sound design, it should be noted the mixing of the use of western and middle eastern audio tracks in the score.

7. Script
The narrative in mainly linear, with time lapses occurring between scenes. It seems to me as if the plot were more character driven because with each new mission they go on, we discover something new about the characters and their relationships with each other. Many of the humor also comes form the subtext, like when Beckham tries to sell him dvd's again. The movie also does a good job highlighting the issues involved in war and what it does to the men who fight in it.

8. Genre
The Genre is most obviously a documentary. But as mentioned before, it is more of a neo-documentary due to its departure from the overly extensive realistic shots. There is also some clear manipulation of the footage in the editing. Some sequences when something will explode five times just so that we are able to take it in from 5 different angles. It meets the Genre in that it does document the rotation of an EOD unit, but also subverts the genre with the simple fact that much of it is choreographed and planned to create a story. The director clearly has a story to tell and it is her story that we hear mainly, not the story of the soldiers.

9. Closing Remarks
So overall, The Hurt Locker is definitely one of the more artfully crafted documentaries, even though it does try to shake off some of the constraints imposed by the genre.