Jul/090
The Hurt Locker, Episodic Storytelling and Character
THE HURT LOCKER is an unusual war movie. Instead of watching a group of characters in battle or on an assignment, we’re following three soldiers in a bomb disposal unit in 2004 Iraq. Will James (Jeremy Renner) disables the bombs as the other two Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) and Sandborn (Anthony Mackie) protect him from sniper fire. While their missions are harrowing, the danger of a set up like this is that the movie can feel episodic and lack focus as our guys go from bomb to bomb. Each adventure is edge of your seat and feels like a mini-movie. But the story lacks direction because there is no overall driving force other than survival. In this instance, the aimless nature of our guys’ experience works because it underscores the random nature of war. Rather than a plot driven movie, THE HURT LOCKER is a character driven movie. First and foremost we want our three guys to get home safely. They are counting down the days until their tour ends. Eldridge doesn’t think he is going to make it. He’s obsessed with dying in the desert. Sandborn just wants to do the job.
But the center of the film is Will James, the bomb whiz. In a way THE HURT LOCKER is a mystery. We spend the whole film trying to figure out who Will is and what he is doing. He is a bundle of contradictions. He is a genius at deciphering bombs. He’s reckless and fearless. At first he seems like a terrible leader, ignoring the advice of his men. But later when they come under sniper fire, he takes charge. He flips again when he orders his men to search a dark neighborhood for a bombing suspect without backup. He is ambivalent about his wife and baby son he left behind, but plays soccer with a boy who sells DVDs on the base. He is affected deeply when things go wrong in the field, but is unable to connect to anyone, not his men or his girl back home. He is only at peace when he is working on a bomb. These contradictions make him a fascinating character. We keep watching in an attempt to understand him. Ultimately the movie never answers the question of who Will is. It is left to the audience to decide what they think of him and the choices he makes. The lesson to take from THE HURT LOCKER is that if your story is episodic, your main character better be incredibly compelling.