Film Analysis: The Hurt Locker

Howard Hawks is considered to be a rather simplistic director when it comes to style. That wasn’t always the case, but it is true that Hawks’ main focus was always the story and characters. As he bluntly put it, a good director is “someone who doesn’t annoy you.” The Hurt Locker certainly has a more noticeable use of camera than any Hawks film. Everything is handheld. The camera is constantly moving, bouncing between characters, with quick pans and rapid cuts. In the heat of the moment, it can get dizzying. And yet, none of this is flashy. Kathryn Bigelow isn’t showing off. Instead, the camera movement entirely serves the story. By using handheld cameras, Bigelow puts you, the viewer, in the story. The film trains the audience to constantly

This film is exploring the character of Sgt. James, figuring out who he is. He does his job his own way, often ostracizing Sanborn and Eldridge. Bigelow uses Sanborn and Eldridge to contrast James’ behavior and mindset. And so it is certainly notable that the one time the group feels the most cohesive is in this scene, when they aren’t even performing their usual jobs. James, Sanborn, and Eldridge are bomb disposers. They aren’t on the front lines. James is good at his job and feels supremely comfortable doing it, so much so that he can just throw away his radio and ignore the members of his team. But in this moment, he’s out of his comfort zone, he’s pushed further. The danger is imminent, like always, but this time, it’s not something he can ‘easily’ defuse. And so, James reacts by jumping into the role of a team leader. He directs his men and comforts them when necessary. They feel like the unit they’ve never been. And importantly, this unity is never really felt the same way again. The only other time James takes a similar charge of his team, he does it out of want, not necessity, and ends up getting Eldridge injured. This distinction between Hawks and Bigelow is important — whereas Hawks tended to focus on the group as a whole, Bigelow is focused on Sgt. James and his need for his job. James neglects the group, he commits the ultimate Hawksian crime, and that’s never