The Hurt Locker

"The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug". Kathryn Bigelow's brilliant movie opens up with this seemingly innocent statement.  Well, quite a lot of critics have weaved interesting theories about the dynamics and the purpose of war, the gender and  race stereotyping, stuff like that.  Scores of pages have been already dedicated about the merits of the movie, which is also the frontrunner  for the Oscars already bagging multiple nominations. Ironically Kathryn's ex-husband is also in the fray with the other  planet Pandora movie 'Avatar'

Yes it was an exciting movie, edge of the seat stuff, set in an urban war zone. The central character is  essentially a maverick, with no regard for his life; performing with precision the most dangerous job in the world, defusing bombs in  a combat zone.  The portrayal is intense, the war zone is just a backdrop, the editing is slick, the action is not exaggerated but it rivets you to the screen.  The enemy is not carefully delineated, neither the politics of the war becomes a burning issue. There is not much of a character development, as the the opening spoiler tells you the whole story, the adrenalin rush of the central character, Staff Sergeant William James, who is at his best when he does what he likes best, defusing bombs.  Real time war veterans have lashed out at the inaccuracies of  the movie, the highly improbable scenario of the elite bomb squads defusing bombs at will and the other numerous glitches in this nerve wringer.  But this is a movie and at its best opens the eyes of the movie-goer to the fact that his comfort zone is guaranteed by lives that are sacrifised  on a daily basis with not even one sane reason.

War does not do anyone anyone any favour.  Well not to preach, I definitely liked a few dialogues, especially from the scene at home when Staff Sergeant William James  speaks to his son "You love playing with that. You love playing with all your stuffed animals. You love your Mommy, your Daddy. You love your pajamas. You love everything, don't ya? Yea. But you know what, buddy? As you get older... some of the things you love might not seem so special anymore. Like your Jack-in-a-Box. Maybe you'll realize it's just a piece of tin and a stuffed animal. And then you forget the few things you really love. And by the time you get to my age, maybe it's only one or two things. With me, I think it's one."   For the central character, he had forgotten to love everything else, unfortunately, his only love is the war.  A hard core war lover, he returns time and again to satisfy his urge: peace literally offers him nothing. 

The Kodak theatre might present these incredible actors and film makers with golden statutes.  Just like another war movie, it always raises the same question for the umpteenth time, Why does one  go to war? Why do we have no qualms to blow up people? Why do people offer to be suicide bombers to annihilate their own race? The anguish is spread in the words of Sergeant Sanborn: "Another two inches, shrapnel zings by; slices my throat- I bleed out like a pig in the sand.  I mean my parents- they care- but they don't count, man. Who else? I don't even have a son."   When will humanity realize the folly of war ?