USMCWIFE8999 TAKE ON HURT LOCKER

I went to the theater to watch Hurt Locker the first time on base with a theater full of Marines. It is always interesting to watch these types of movies with Marines. As soon as the movie rolled the entire theater went silent (not typical in a theater full of Marines). To rip-off a line from Jerry McGuire, this movie had me from the first scene. I think it would be a fair assessment to say this movie takes you in and puts you on the streets in Iraq in 2004 in the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I felt that there was so much to take in and see, like I was standing on the streets watching the movie unfold. The director successfully created what I imagine it must be like there, and asking my husband he said that in fact it was very much like Iraq.
Hurt Locker doesn’t pull any punches about war, or at least the life of an Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician (EOD). It’s gritty and dirty and it captures the courage of these men. Not really sure about all the technical aspects being realistic..ie..weapons, vehicles and stuff like that. My only concern is what the civilian population will see when viewing the movie. Our military have a different eye for these types of things that I do not as a spouse. What I also think it captured was the type of person that does this job, the protagonist of the film Ssg. James, played brilliantly by Jeremy Renner seemed to be right on target with the no holds barred EOD type I have met. EOD guys (again, that I have met) are a bit off center and a little primadonish. I like that the filmmaker balanced out the James character with Sgt. Sanborn as the voice of reason and Eldridge the innocent “follower” both played respectfully by Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty. I think it was important that these types of soldiers were also in the mix to show that there is no “typical” soldier and that usually the commonality is the brotherhood that the three of these characters eventually developed.
I really do not want to get into the nitty gritty of the film, if I was to do that this could go on for days. Since my goal is to point out what I believe to be right on target with what I know of the military and what seems off or not in line of what I know. I believe for the most part Hurt Locker was a fair portrayal of the men of EOD and the things they deal with. Maybe not in whole, some things were incredibly doubtful but it was a movie. In fact I had to decide if this was a movie I wanted to introduce to my husband when he first returned from Afghanistan since the first 2 months there they lost 3 of their EOD. I think this movie is realistic enough that you as a spouse may want to take a moment before screening it for your loved one if they haven’t yet seen it.
What I personally identified with was the “loyalty” of the long suffering wife played by Evangeline Lily. I think most of us understand her pain and longing for the “normalcy” that often eludes us for longer than we would like. Honestly there were only two things in the movie I want to call out as unfair. I think the shooting of the Iraqi man by soldiers was not necessary. Do I think this has never happened? Well it might have, do I think it has happened enough to be in this film, no I do not. So I think that could have been omitted, it paints soldiers in a light I think is unfair. Also the drinking part and getting wasted on base, from my knowledge alcohol is forbidden, especially in those early days, my Army sisters may have to chime in on this since all my knowledge is Marine based. Probably not a big deal but still seemed out of sync.
I would enthusiastically recommend the Hurt Locker, keeping in mind it is a movie and facts aren't always facts when drama is needed for a movie.