Template:Future film

The Hurt Locker is an upcoming 2008 American war film directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Near Dark, Point Break). Filmed entirely on location in the Middle East (specifically Jordan), the film is based on recently declassified information about an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team in present day Iraq.^[1]

About the Film

The Hurt Locker stars Jeremy Renner (28 Weeks Later, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential), Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, The Constant Gardner, The English Patient), Brian Geraghty (Jarhead), Anthony Mackie (8 Mile) and Evangeline Lilly (Lost).^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

The script was co-written by Mark Boal (In the Valley of Elah (story by)), a journalist who has also written for Playboy, The Village Voice and Rolling Stone Magazine ^[2] and who spent time embedded with a real bomb squad.^[6]

The rest of the core filmmaking team consists of cinematographer Barry Ackroyd (United 93, Battle in Seattle), film editors Chris Innis (G.I. Jane, American Gothic) and Bob Murawski (Spider-man series of films), production designer Karl Júlíusson (Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark) and costume designer George Little (Jarhead). The score was composed by Academy Award nominated composer, Marco Beltrami (3:10 to Yuma, I, Robot).

On shooting the difficult film in the Middle East, lead actor Jeremy Renner said, "There were two by fours with nails being dropped from two-story buildings that hit me in the helmet and they were throwing rocks. Most of them were just kids fooling around, but still. We got shot at a few times while we were filming..." The actor remarked, "When you see it, you're gonna feel like you've been in war... I'm like, 'This is awful!' And everyone was sick. It was terrible. It was a shoestring budget." Renner is glad the film looks great because it was such an gut-wrenching experience: "I was miserable in 120-degree heat in a 150-pound bomb suit playing a soldier in an elite Army bomb squad." Renner adds, "It was an $80 million movie that was made for (much less)." ^[7]

Plot

In Iraq, an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit is forced to play a dangerous game of cat and mouse in the chaos of war in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.^[8] Jeremy Renner plays the leader of the EOD team, as he contends with not only diffusing bombs in the backdrop of a war but also the psychological and emotional strain that it inflicts.^[9]

Iraq War Films & Hollywood

Says screenwriter Mark Boal: "It's the first movie about the Iraq war that purports to show the experience of the soldiers.^[10] We wanted to show the kinds of things that soldiers go through that you can't see on CNN." He adds, "Most war movies don't come out until after the war is over.^[10] It's really exciting for me, coming out of the world of journalism, to have a movie come out about a conflict while the conflict is still going on." ^[2]

Almost all the Hollywood movies made during World War II tended to be feel-good, heroic ones. And in spite of the massive anti-Vietnam-war protests, it wasn't until very late in that conflict before the public mood turned enough to warrant entertainment following suit. It was not until 1978, three years after the war ended, that the first serious films appeared, such as the Deer Hunter, and Apocalypse Now which followed a year later. Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and Born on the Fourth of July were not made until the late 1980s.^[10]

Most of the recent movies about US involvement in the Middle East have been very critical of the US war effort and foreign policy politics.^[10] Most of these anti-US government themed films have tanked at the box office. Lew Harris, the editor of Movies.com, attributes the fact that films about Iraq are being released while the war is still ongoing to a more politicised Hollywood. Says Harris, "Hollywood's much more political now and less afraid to speak out... The film-makers and actors themselves are far more politicised than they were in the 1960s.^[11] Lew Harris does warn that the success of the films will ultimately hinge on their ability to entertain. "I think if it's good entertainment and the actors are good then they will be successful," Harris said.^[11]

Premieres

The world premiere of The Hurt Locker was at the 65th Annual Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, on September 4th, 2008.^[12] According to VARIETY, the bomb-squad actioner "jolted Venice" with high-adrenaline and was so well received that it got a ten minute standing ovation.^[13]

The film won the SIGNIS grand prize at the Venice film festival. This year is the 60th anniversary of the Catholic jury at the Venice Film Festival coordinated by SIGNIS, the world Catholic association for communication based in Brussels. According to the jury’s statement, the motivation for this choice is "the filmmakers' uncompromising approach to the Iraq war and its consequences seen through the experience of the bomb diffusion specialists for whom war is an addiction rather than a cause. The film challenges the audience’s view of war in general and the current war in particular because it demonstrates the struggle between violence to the body and psychological alienation.”^[14] The film picked up several other collateral award wins including the Arca Cinemagiovani Award (Arca Young Cinema Award) for "Best Film Venezia 65" (chosen by an international youth jury); the Human Rights Film Network Award; and the "La Navicella" – Venezia Cinema Award.^[15]

Reviewing the film for TIME magazine at Venice, film critic Richard Corliss said, "The Hurt Locker is a near-perfect movie about men in war, men at work. Through sturdy imagery and violent action, it says that even Hell needs heroes... I may think of a better depiction of the helplessness and heroism attending the U.S. presence in the war on terrorism, but for now I'll say this one's the tops."^[16] Previewing the film, Toronto Star critic Peter Howell said, "Just when you think the battle of Iraq war dramas has been fought and lost, along comes one that demands to be seen – if you can handle the raging adrenaline... If you can sit through The Hurt Locker without your heart nearly pounding through your chest, you must be made of granite."^[17]

The North American premiere is scheduled for the 33rd annual Toronto International Film Festival which runs September 4-13, 2008.^[18] The film is among the "top 6 picks" of the film festival.^[19] Of the upcoming "The Hurt Locker" Toronto film festival screening, film festival co-director Bailey says that it has, "unlocked the key to making a film about the Iraq War. It transcends what is going on in the headlines... and finds something that's mysterious and symbolic."^[20]

References

External Links

• The Hurt Locker at IMDb
• The Hurt Locker News
• "Film Business Blooms in Jordan" Variety, by Ali Jaafar, Sep. 21, 2007
• "'Locker' to be Filmed in Jordan" by Ali Jaafar, Variety, May 20, 2007
• Jeremy Renner online
• Kathryn Bigelow - Superiorpics.com bio
• Toronto International Film Fest annouces list of World Premieres
• "The Toronto International Film Festival Adds Six Special Presentations To Lineup" - AllHeadlineNews.com
• "TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: Cera's special presentation" Linda Barnard, Toronto Star Jul 03, 2008
• "Toronto Film Festival to Feature Ralph Fiennes" By: Brian Scott Lipton Jul 10, 2008, theatermania.com
• New Teaser Poster for "The Hurt Locker"
• Photos of The Hurt Locker, from set photographer, Jonathan Olley
• Aaton - AATON - Hurt Locker Camera Crew
• The Hurt Locker - Photo stills
• Ain't It Cool News: "NEAR DARK Director Kathryn Bigelow Focuses On Iraq!! THE HURT LOCKER Is Coming Captain Plantastic Chats With Her About It!!"
• "Waiting for John Wayne: American audiences have been staying at home, not tempted by films about an unpopular war. Perhaps the emergence of a new hero may do the trick" The Economist, Aug 28th 2008, LOS ANGELES
• The Los Angeles Times, "Will the Venice Film Festival launch Oscars' lead ponies again?"