The Hurt Locker

4 out of 5

This movie is not for everyone. It was very well written and directed and kept me on the edge of my seat. Very suspenseful at times and touching at others. I do not have time for a full preview but want to focus on my favorite scene.

I have heard over and over that great screenwriting is showing about a character not telling. There was one scene in this movie that epitomizes this concept. Two men are at the top of a shelter waiting it out to make sure there is no one else that will shoot at them and the people they are with. They are sitting in the hot sun and wind for what seems like hours. One of the men has been known to be selfish and a risk taker. He cannot be trusted up until this point in the movie. The other man has been pushed to the limit by the former soldier and is just trying to stay alive. They are perched here together, forced to work as a team since there is no other choice. When the selfish risk taker seems to be ready to pass out from the heat, he asks a soldier to bring him some juice. The soldier does. We see the selfish, risk taker struggle to get the wrapper off the straw and get the straw into the juice box. What happens next is a great example of showing who a character is and not telling. This scene was worth the price of admission because it shifted the way we thought of this character and it changed how the other soldier saw him too. Great screenwriting!

I recommend this well written, well acted movie, but it is a stressful experience!