Comments on: Best Film of 2009 – The Hurt Locker

By: simon

simon — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 13:27:44 +0000

I agree that the Hurt Locker is the worst film ever to have won an Oscar. Whilst I thought it was well filmed and visually very good there was no story. Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, and Saving Private Ryan are all better war films by a substantial margin.

What the f**k was that scene all about with the military contractors ? A team of special forces guys who are good enough to have found and apprehended some top ranking terrorists fall to pieces when they are shot at. Those that don’t get killed get saved by a bomb disposal expert with a rifle!!!!

By: Patricia

Patricia — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:17:28 +0000

I agree with Martin, 100%. The script is purely formulaic of a television show, with hints of peer rivalry from Top Gun and Courage Under Fire. As soon as the main character met up with the child dvd trader, flashes of Lawrence of Arabia crossed my eyes. David Morse’s “Wildman,” encounter came directly from the Kevin Costner film, The Guardian. And who was the swami editor who suddenly places the central character in a supermarket, Stateside? Too many frames, no storyline, whatsoever, and poorly acted.

By: Charles

Charles — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:25:09 +0000

<> a masterpiece of suspense??? What have you been smoking, pal?

This film should have never won the Oscar. It certainly was not better than Unglorious Bastards. But yeah, we had to have our Iraq war Hollywood “masterpiece”. It seems that you never saw: Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, or Saving Private Ryan. What a pity!!

By: Jeffrey Williams

Jeffrey Williams — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:06:17 +0000

Martin, you have an interesting definition of “pedestrian”.

The scene at the U.N. compound and the sniper scene are both masterpieces of suspense. They’re spatially coherent to the point of claustrophobia, the camerawork is immersive without being Bay-ish nonsense, and the pacing is up there with Hitchcock’s best work.

Most of the film operates in that classic Hitchcockian suspense mode. It’s a very basic ‘will it or won’t it explode’, but Bigelow hits the beats of suspense with such skill, it’s like watching a virtuoso drummer playing a solo. There’s a reason for every shot, and an unfliching consistent intensity to the rhythm. When you consider that she was working under a tight budget under hellish conditions, it’s a remarkable filmmaking achievement.

What do you think was better directed? And why do you think politics was behind this?

By: Martin

Martin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:45:05 +0000

“The Hurt Locker” is the worst movie that ever won an oscar. The story is poorly written. It does not build up to a final climax and the characters are un-interesting. The dialogue is mundane and instantly forgettable. The direction was pedestrian. I am absolutely appalled that this movie won the oscars it did. It will be even more laughable when the writer loses the upcoming lawsuit. I shudder to think what purile politics are behind this charade.