-
Essay / Movie Analysis: The Hurt Locker - 902
The Hurt Locker is a war film set in Iraq during the Iraq War and falls into the action adventure genre. The plot tells the story of a three-man bomb defusing team consisting of James, Sanborn and Elridge who find themselves in extreme, life-threatening situations where they must defuse explosives during violent conflicts. The director, Kathryn Bigelow, did a good job with the direction, making the setting overall extremely believable, giving a sense of realism to the film. The film's direction creates believable Iraq War settings with the use of costumes, weapons and all the grime and grime present in the locations that sells the idea. Sounds and symbolism are used to show the strong tension between the soldiers. The film also contrasts James' time in Iraq and his life in America using the supermarket scene. The idea presented in this film is the addiction to war that can be seen in James. There are many elements in the film that give a very authentic feel to the setting. In the film, the buildings all appear to be from the Middle West, covered in dried mud, and a desert is shown, a scene which gives the idea of a country living in poverty and extremely hot. The costume adds to the realism of the scene where the locals wear traditional Muslim outfits accompanied by burqas. The costume and soldiers use points indicating that they are affiliated with the US military such as the M4 carbine they carry and their uniform with the combat boots, sand-colored shirts and helmet covers. The M4 carbine is shown with scopes attached in the film's glare and the lens can be seen as the gun moves, adding even more realism and suggesting that this is an expensive piece of equipment. Emphasis on middle of paper thickness......risking your life on the battlefield. However, the war-addicted James got back into the field, dismantling more bombs. Bigelow's use of sensemaking is effective because it creates a realistic and believable setting. The details on the costumes and weapons in the film further add to the realism of the situation. We can also somewhat feel what James is experiencing through the use of camera techniques, clever lighting schemes and dialogue. All of this ties into the theme of war addiction, elaborating the message presented at the opening of the film. I think camera shake is overused. I understand this is used to engage the audience and show how disorienting and uncomfortable the situation is, but too much camera shake can be distracting in my opinion.