"The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug"

Easily the best movie coming out of the Iraq war and one of the best war movies period, The Hurt Locker shook me. Big time. It’s not preachy. It’s not leaning left or right. It, much like the elite Army bomb-disposal unit it focuses on, just delivers.

The script was written by Mark Boal, who spent time embedded in a real-life unit in 2004, and based his script around that assignment and the stories and experiences within. What comes from his writing and Kathryn Bigelow’s excellent, visceral directing is first-rate action thriller, crammed to the bone with suspense. Throughout the 130 minutes, we are constantly on edge while consistent feelings of exhilaration and dread combine to form the perfect adrenaline cocktail.

The movie does not let up, compromise or back down.

When first introduced, Jeremy Renner’s Sgt. Will James seems as reckless and unpredictable as some of the devices he is tasked with disarming. But as the film progresses (more like rockets forward), we learn that he embodies a cold, steely precision in his ability and a confidence that is as heroic as it is disturbingly maniacal. One of the best and most revealing scenes involves the fact that James keeps various components of disarmed explosives in a crate of personal items below his bunk. It is evident that he holds a morbid respect for those who built them while simply explaining, “these are all things that could have killed me.”

Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty star alongside Renner as members of the bomb-disposal squad who must adjust to the gung-ho, suicidal mentality of their new leader which is in direct contrast with that of their previous sergeant (Guy Pearce). Their excellent performances convey the dynamic and conflict that is omnipresent in a job where even the slightest misstep can result in death on a massive scale.

"The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug."

By the end of this film, you will understand that mentality.

See it now and remember it forever.

Image Courtesy: Summit Entertainment