Exclusive: New Images from 'The Hurt Locker'
Filed under: Action, Drama, SXSW, Newsstand, Images, War
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Cinematical has received these brand new images from The Hurt Locker (one is an exclusive shot, as seen above), which will enjoy its SXSW premiere later tonight. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker has snagged a ton of buzz ever since its premiere at the Toronto fest back in September, where we reviewed it and interviewed Bigelow. The film, based on journalist Mark Boal's real experiences, tells of "three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad [who] battle insurgents and one another as they search for and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad-in order to try and make the city a safer place for Iraqis and Americans alike."
James noted in his Toronto review that The Hurt Locker is "an assured, confident, swaggering piece of moviemaking that manages to not only evoke every war of the 20th century but also, despite the claims by makers and some reviewers that it's an 'apolitical' film, speaks very specifically to the Iraq war" -- later adding, "The Hurt Locker looks and feels like a terrific action film, but there's a piece of art ticking away within it that goes off inside your head and your heart while you're watching." Check out the new images in the gallery below and the full synopsis after the jump. The Hurt Locker hits theaters on June 26.
The Hurt Locker is a riveting, suspenseful portrait of the courage under fire of the military's unrecognized heroes: the technicians of a bomb squad who volunteer to challenge the odds and save lives doing one of the world's most dangerous jobs. Three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad battle insurgents and one another as they search for and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad-in order to try and make the city a safer place for Iraqis and Americans alike. Their mission is clear-protect and save-but it's anything but easy, as the margin of error when defusing a war-zone bomb is zero. This thrilling and heart-pounding look at the psychology of bomb technicians and the effects of risk and danger on the human psyche is based on the first-hand observations of journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was embedded with a special bomb unit in Iraq. These elite military men spoke of explosions as sending you to "the hurt locker."
Acclaimed director Kathryn Bigelow brings together groundbreaking realistic action and intimate human drama in a landmark film starring Jeremy Renner (Dahmer , The Assassination of Jesse James ), Anthony Mackie ( Half Nelson , We Are Marshall ) and Brian Geraghty ( We Are Marshall , Jarhead ), with cameo appearances by Ralph Fiennes ( The Reader ), David Morse ("John Adams"), Evangeline Lilly ("Lost") and Guy Pearce ( Memento ). The Hurt Locker is produced by Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Greg Shapiro and Nicolas Chartier. The screenplay is written by Mark Boal ( In the Valley of Elah) . Barry Ackroyd, BSC ( United 93, The Wind That Shakes the Barley ) is director of photography. Production designer is Karl Juliusson ( K19: The Widowmaker, Breaking the Waves ). Editors are Bob Murawski ( Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3 ) and Chris Innis. Costume designer is George Little ( Jarhead , Crimson Tide ). Music is by Academy Award Nominee Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders ( 3:10 to Yuma ), and sound design by Academy Award Nominee Paul N.J. Ottosson ( Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3 ).
In the summer of 2004, Sergeant J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) of Bravo Company are at the volatile center of the war, part of a small counterforce specifically trained to handle the homemade bombs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), that account for more than half of American hostile deaths and have killed thousands of Iraqis. The job, a high-pressure, high-stakes assignment, which soldiers volunteer for, requires a calm intelligence that leaves no room for mistakes, as they learn when they lose their team leader on a routine mission.
When Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) cheerfully takes over the team, Sanborn and Eldridge are shocked by what seems like his reckless disregard for military protocol and basic safety measures. And yet, in the fog of war, appearances are never reliable for long. Is James really a swaggering cowboy who lives for peak experiences and the moments when the margin of error is zero – or is he a consummate professional who has honed his esoteric craft to high-wire precision? As the fiery chaos of Baghdad threatens to engulf them, the men struggle to understand and contain their mercurial new leader long enough for them to make it home. They have only 38 days left in their tour, but with each new mission comes another deadly encounter, and as James blurs the line between bravery and bravado, it seems only a matter of time before disaster strikes.
With a visual and emotional intensity that makes audiences feel like they have been transported to the dizzying, 24-hour turmoil of life in the bomb squad, The Hurt Locker is both a grippping portrayal of real-life sacrifice and heroism, and a layered, probing study of the soul-numbing rigors and potent allure of the modern battlefield.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-17-2009 @ 7:37PM
The Rake said...
This is one to look out for. We have had the review on this film up for a while at our site, click below if you'd like to read it.
http://thefilmnest.com/2009/01/the-hurt-locker-review/
An intense movie by Katherine Bigelow.
The Rake
http://thefilmnest.com
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3-17-2009 @ 11:03PM
Ward said...
Intense. Worth seeing. Will change your outlook of what the troops are going through in Iraq.
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3-19-2009 @ 2:56AM
L.G. said...
Haven't checked out the trailer or anything for this film but have tracked it impatiently since its debut at the Venice Film Festival last year.
Simply cannot wait. Kathryn Bigelow is an immensely talented filmmaker and knows how to stage truly kinetic, crackerjack action sequences. Also, I totally dig the lesser-known but undeniably gifted cast.
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