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| language = English
| language = English
| budget = $11 million <small>(estimate)</small>
| budget = $11 million <small>(estimate)</small>
| gross = $9,714,263 <ref name="bom">{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hurtlocker.htm | title=The Hurt Locker (2009) | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2009-08-14}}</ref>
| gross = $9,714,263 <ref name="bom">{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hurtlocker.htm | title=The Hurt Locker (2009) | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2009-08-14}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''The Hurt Locker''''' is a {{fy|2009}} American war thriller directed by [[Kathryn Bigelow]]. Shot in [[Jordan]], the film is based on recently declassified information about a U.S. Army [[Explosive Ordnance Disposal]] (EOD) (bomb squad) team in 2004 [[Iraq]]. ''The Hurt Locker'' is written by [[Mark Boal]], a freelance writer who was embedded with a bomb squad.
'''''The Hurt Locker''''' is a critically-acclaimed [[2009 in film|2009]] [[United States|American]] war thriller directed by [[Kathryn Bigelow]].<ref name="NYTimes">[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/movies/20comm.html?_r=1 The New York Times "Recovering Treasures From Below the Radar" February 20, 2009, By A. O. SCOTT]</ref> Shot in [[Jordan]], the film is based on recently declassified information about a U.S. Army [[Explosive Ordnance Disposal]] (EOD) (bomb squad) team in 2004 [[Iraq]]. ''The Hurt Locker'' is written by [[Mark Boal]], a freelance writer who was embedded with a bomb squad.<ref name="ToMakeLocker">[http://www.movieweb.com/news/93/21193.php Kathryn Bigelow to Make The Hurt Locker]</ref><ref name="Guardian">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/sep/07/venicefilmfestival "A few choice triumphs keep the Lido afloat" The Guardian UK, by Nick James September 7 2008]</ref>

''The Hurt Locker'' was picked up by distributor [[Summit Entertainment]].<ref name="Summit">[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991968.html?categoryId=13&cs=1&nid=2854 "Summit takes 'Hurt Locker' in U.S." Variety, by Sharon Swart, Sept. 10, 2008]</ref> The film was released in the United States on June 26, 2009 in New York and Los Angeles. Based on the success of its limited run, the independent film began to go wider on July 24, 2009.<ref name=ReleaseDate>[http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/summit-updates-release-date-for-the-hurt-locker-synopsis-for-eclipse-and-clip-from-knowing Rope of Silicon "Summit Updates: Release Date for The Hurt Locker, Synopsis for Eclipse and Clip from Knowing" by Brad Brevet, January 27, 2009]</ref><ref name="Release">[http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0640793/ IMDB - Hollywood Chicago com “The Hurt Locker” Release date announced]</ref><ref name="OscarChances">[http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/hurt_locker_to_summit_and_che_to_ifc "'Hurt Locker' to Summit and 'Che' to IFC: Festival pick-ups find their Oscar chances" Rope of Silicon, by Brad Brevet, September 10, 2008]</ref><ref name="LATimes910">[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2008/09/toronto-the-hur.html "Toronto: "The Hurt Locker" sold to Summit Entertainment" LA Times blog, by Mark Olsen, Sep 10 2008]</ref><ref name="Rope">[http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/oscar_update_dark_knight_push_brothers_bloom_update_and_more "Oscar Update" Rope of Silicon]</ref> World-renown film critic [[Roger Ebert]] who gave the film a full four stars and "two thumbs up," said of the film, ''The Hurt Locker'' is a great film, an intelligent film... a spellbinding war film... The suspense is real and it is earned."<ref name="Ebert">[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090708/REVIEWS/907089997 Roger Ebert "The Hurt Locker" Review, Chicago Sun Times, July 8, 2009]</ref><ref name="Ebert2">[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/07/not_how_the_army_would_fight_aliens.html Roger Ebert's Journal "Open the Hurt Locker and Learn how Rough Men Come Hunting for Souls", July 10, 2009]</ref><ref name="Ebert3">[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/08/the_gathering_dark_age.html Roger Ebert's Journal "The Gathering Dark Age" August 6, 2009]</ref>
''The Hurt Locker'' was picked up by distributor [[Summit Entertainment]]. The film was released in the United States on June 26, 2009 in New York and Los Angeles. Based on the success of its limited run, the independent film received a more widespread theatrical release on July 24, 2009.

==Plot==
==Plot==
In [[Iraq]], a U.S. Army [[Explosive Ordnance Disposal]] (EOD) unit is forced to play a dangerous game of cat and mouse in the chaos of war in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.<ref name="BigelowReturn">[http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2033466,00.html Bigelow returns for The Hurt Locker Staff Wednesday March 14, 2007 Guardian.co.uk]</ref> [[Jeremy Renner]] plays the leader of the EOD team along with [[Anthony Mackie]] and [[Brian Geraghty]], as they contend with not only defusing bombs in the backdrop of a war, but also the psychological and emotional strain that the job inflicts.<ref name="FilmIndie">[http://filmindependent.org/directorseries/speakerbios.php Film Independent.Org Director Series/Speakerbios]</ref>
During the early months of the [[Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–present|post-invasion period in Iraq]], Sergeant First Class William James becomes the new team leader of an [[Bomb disposal|Explosive Ordnance Disposal]] (EOD) unit with the [[U.S. Army]]'s Bravo Company, replacing Staff Sergeant Thompson, who was killed by a remote-detonated [[improvised explosive device]] (IED) in [[Baghdad]]. He joins Sergeant J.T. Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge, whose jobs are to communicate with their team leader via radio inside his [[bombsuit]], and provide him with rifle cover while he examines an IED. James's insistence on approaching a suspected IED without first sending in a bomb disposal robot during their first mission together lead Sanborn and Eldridge to consider him "reckless". Back at [[Camp Victory]], James befriends Beckham, a young Iraqi boy who works for a local merchant operating at the base. The team is next called out to the [[United Nations]] building in Baghdad, where a parked car has a large bomb in the trunk. While James intensively studies the intricate bomb, Sanborn and Eldridge provide him with cover. Sanborn becomes increasingly paranoid of three men watching them from a [[minaret]] and another filming them from a nearby rooftop. With the building evacuated, he suggests to James that the they pull out and let a team of engineers come disarm the bomb. James ignores and angers Sanborn by removing his radio headset, and remains with the car until he disarms the device.

==Overview==
While returning from detonating bombs in the desert, the EOD team encounter a British [[private military company]]. They soon come under enemy attack, and three of the British mercenaries are killed in the ensuing firefight, which ends after Sanborn and Eldridge shoot the last of the insurgent snipers. For their next mission, the team heads to a warehouse to retrieve unexploded ordnance. While securing the warehouse, James discovers the dead body of a young boy who has been surgically implanted with an unexploded bomb. James is sure that it is Beckham, while Sanborn and Eldridge are not entirely certain. That night, James forces the merchant for whom Beckham worked to drive him to Beckham's house. Upon entering the house to which he is brought, James encounters an Iraqi professor and demands to know who was responsible for turning Beckham into a "body bomb". The professor thinks James is a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] agent and calmly invites him to sit down as a guest of his household. A confused James is then forced out of the house by the man's wife, and sneaks back into Camp Victory with the help of a sympathetic guard. That same night, Eldridge is accidentally shot in the leg during a mission in which the EOD team successfully tracks down and kills two bomb makers. The next morning, James is approached by Beckham, who is alive and well. Much to Beckham's confusion, he is completely ignored by James. Eldridge blames James for his injury, claiming James unnecessarily put his life at risk just so that he could have an "adrenaline fix", referring to Sanborn's suggestion that the mission, which James had ordered, would be better suited for an infantry platoon.
''The Hurt Locker'' stars [[Jeremy Renner]], [[Anthony Mackie]], [[Brian Geraghty]], [[Guy Pearce]], [[Ralph Fiennes]], and [[Evangeline Lilly]].<ref name="Cinematical">[http://www.cinematical.com/2007/07/17/cast-announced-for-kathryn-bigelows-iraq-drama-hurt-locker/ "Cast Announced for...'Hurt Locker'", July 17th 2007, Cinematical]</ref><ref name="Screenweek">[http://www.screenweek.it/film/9442-The-hurt-Locker Screenweek lists full cast incl. E. Lilly July 31, 2008]</ref><ref name="VivaCinema">[http://www.vivacinema.it/articolo/the-hurt-locker-scheda-del-film/3527/ "The Hurt Locker, scheda del film e locandina Martedì", 15 Luglio 2008, cast listed]</ref><ref name="Renner">[http://www.jeremyrenner.org/ Jeremy Renner.org - The Hurt Locker "Renner headlines... with Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, and Evangeline Lily."]</ref><ref name="Indies">[http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117996677.html?nav=news&categoryid=1983&cs=1 Variety "Film trio feel the Spirit" by Erin Maxwell, Michael Jones, December 2, 2008]</ref>

With only two days left on their current tour, James and Sanborn are called in to assist in a situation where a man was forced to wander into a military checkpoint with a timed bomb strapped to his chest. James cannot remove the bomb nor disarm it in time, and is forced to flee before the bomb goes off. On the ride back to the base, Sanborn becomes emotional and confesses to James that he can no longer cope with the pressure of being in EOD, and relishes the prospect of finally leaving Iraq and starting a family. James is next seen back at home with his wife and child, visibly bored with civilian life. One night he has an internal monologue in the form of speaking aloud to his infant son, where he says that there is only "one thing" that he knows he loves. He is next seen back in Iraq, ready to serve another year as part of an EOD team with Delta Company.
The script was written by first-time screenwriter [[Mark Boal]], a freelance writer who has contributed to ''[[Playboy]]'', ''[[The Village Voice]]'' and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazines and who also wrote the short story that inspired the film ''[[In the Valley of Elah]]''.<ref name="Cinematical"/> Boal spent time embedded with a real bomb squad, which was a source for the story.<ref name="Hollywood">[http://blog.spout.com/2007/07/17/hollywood-tackles-iraq-trade-roughage-71707/ "Hollywood Tackles Iraq" Karina Longworth, July 2007]</ref> According to Boal, "It's the first movie about the Iraq war that purports to show the experience of the soldiers."<ref name="GuardianUK">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/aug/14/iraq.film "Hollywood tears up script to make anti-war films while conflicts rage", Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian UK, August 14, 2007]</ref>

==Cast==
*[[Jeremy Renner]] - Sergeant First Class William James
*[[Anthony Mackie]] - Sergeant J.T. Sanborn
*[[Brian Geraghty]] - Specialist Owen Eldridge
*[[Guy Pearce]] - Staff Sergeant Matt Thompson
*[[Ralph Fiennes]] - Contractor Team Leader
*[[David Morse (actor)|David Morse]] - Colonel Reed
*[[Christian Camargo]] - Colonel Cambridge
*[[Evangeline Lilly]] - Connie James
*Christopher Sayegh - Beckham
==Production==

The script was written by first-time screenwriter [[Mark Boal]], a freelance writer who has contributed to ''[[Playboy]]'', ''[[The Village Voice]]'' and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazines and who also wrote the short story that inspired the film ''[[In the Valley of Elah]]''.<ref name="Cinematical">[http://www.cinematical.com/2007/07/17/cast-announced-for-kathryn-bigelows-iraq-drama-hurt-locker/ "Cast Announced for...'Hurt Locker'", July 17th 2007, Cinematical]</ref> Boal spent time embedded with a real bomb squad, which was a source for the story.<ref name="Hollywood">[http://blog.spout.com/2007/07/17/hollywood-tackles-iraq-trade-roughage-71707/ "Hollywood Tackles Iraq" Karina Longworth, July 2007]</ref> According to Boal, "It's the first movie about the Iraq war that purports to show the experience of the soldiers."<ref name="GuardianUK">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/aug/14/iraq.film "Hollywood tears up script to make anti-war films while conflicts rage", Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian UK, August 14, 2007]</ref>

Other members of the key filmmaking crew include director of photography [[Barry Ackroyd]], film editors [[Chris Innis]] and [[Bob Murawski]], production designer [[Karl Júlíusson]], production sound mixer Ray Beckett, and costume designer George Little. The film's real explosions and special effects were designed by Richard Stutsman and his team. The score was composed by [[Academy Award]] nominated composer [[Marco Beltrami]] and Buck Sanders.
Other members of the key filmmaking crew include director of photography [[Barry Ackroyd]], film editors [[Chris Innis]] and [[Bob Murawski]], production designer [[Karl Júlíusson]], production sound mixer Ray Beckett, and costume designer George Little. The film's real explosions and special effects were designed by Richard Stutsman and his team. The score was composed by [[Academy Award]] nominated composer [[Marco Beltrami]] and Buck Sanders.

''The Hurt Locker'' was shot mainly on location in the Middle East, over forty-four days from July to September 2007, during the height of the Iraq war surge. Often four or more camera crews filmed simultaneously, which resulted in nearly 200 hours of footage.<ref name="Times">[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-hurt8-2008sep08,0,2439978.story Los Angeles Times "Hurt Locker: A soldier's-eye view of the Iraq war" By Mark Olsen, Special to The Times, September 8, 2008]</ref><ref name="DGA">[http://www.directorsguild.net/news/current/quarterly_current.php3?&section=news&oldsection=&oldpage= DGA Magazine "Kinetic" By Jeffrey Ressner, DGA Quarterly, December 2008]</ref> There were also two days of pick up shots filmed in or around Vancouver, Canada, to accommodate home town actress [[Evangeline Lilly]].
''The Hurt Locker'' was shot mainly on location in the Middle East, during the height of the Iraq war surge. Often four or more camera crews filmed simultaneously, which resulted in nearly 200 hours of footage.<ref name="Times">[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-hurt8-2008sep08,0,2439978.story Los Angeles Times "Hurt Locker: A soldier's-eye view of the Iraq war" By Mark Olsen, Special to The Times, September 8, 2008]</ref><ref name="DGA">[http://www.directorsguild.net/news/current/quarterly_current.php3?&section=news&oldsection=&oldpage= DGA Magazine "Kinetic" By Jeffrey Ressner, DGA Quarterly, December 2008]</ref> There were also two days of pick up shots filmed in or around Vancouver, Canada, to accommodate home town actress [[Evangeline Lilly]].

Although the filmmakers scouted for locations in [[Morocco]], director Kathryn Bigelow sought greater authenticity and decided to film in [[Jordan]] because of its close proximity to [[Iraq]]. Some of the locations were less than three miles from the Iraqi border.<ref name="Times"/> All the Iraqi roles in the film were played by displaced Iraqi war refugees living in Jordan, many of them trained actors who had been forced to flee their country.<ref name="Times"/>. They included roles by Suhail Aldabbach, Nabil Koni, Feisal Sadoun, Imad Dadudi, Hasan Darwish, Wasfi Amour, Nibras Quassem, Nader Tarawneh and very notably Christopher Sayegh in the role of "Beckham", the Iraqi street vendor kid who befriends Sergeant First Class William James played by Jeremy Renner.
Although the filmmakers scouted for locations in [[Morocco]], director Kathryn Bigelow sought greater authenticity and decided to film in [[Jordan]] because of its close proximity to [[Iraq]]. Some of the locations were less than three miles from the Iraqi border.<ref name="Times"/> All the Iraqi roles in the film were played by displaced Iraqi war refugees living in Jordan, many of them trained actors who had been forced to flee their country.<ref name="Times"/>. They included roles by Suhail Aldabbach, Nabil Koni, Feisal Sadoun, Imad Dadudi, Hasan Darwish, Wasfi Amour, Nibras Quassem, Nader Tarawneh and very notably Christopher Sayegh in the role of "Beckham", the Iraqi street vendor kid who befriends Sergeant First Class William James played by Jeremy Renner.

Lead actor [[Jeremy Renner]], who trained with real EOD teams prior to shooting the film, says that great pains were taken to ensure the film's authenticity.<ref name="MP Mag">[http://www.movingpicturesmagazine.com/videoaudio/mpminterviews/jeremy-renner-the-hurt-locker Moving Pictures Magazine: The Hurt Locker Interviews, Jeremy Renner, Interview by Elliot V. Kotek]</ref> According to Renner, shooting the film in the Middle East contributed to this. "There were two by fours with nails being dropped from two-story buildings that hit me in the helmet and they were throwing rocks... we got shot at a few times while we were filming," Renner said. "When you see it, you're gonna feel like you've been in war."<ref name="WNNNews">[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887912/news#ni0264141 WENN news 20 July 2008 "Renner Caught Up In Film 'War'"]</ref>
Lead actor [[Jeremy Renner]], who trained with real EOD teams prior to shooting the film, says that great pains were taken to ensure the film's authenticity.<ref name="MP Mag">[http://www.movingpicturesmagazine.com/videoaudio/mpminterviews/jeremy-renner-the-hurt-locker Moving Pictures Magazine: The Hurt Locker Interviews, Jeremy Renner, Interview by Elliot V. Kotek]</ref> According to Renner, shooting the film in the Middle East contributed to this. "There were two by fours with nails being dropped from two-story buildings that hit me in the helmet and they were throwing rocks... we got shot at a few times while we were filming," Renner said. "When you see it, you're gonna feel like you've been in war."<ref name="WNNNews">[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887912/news#ni0264141 WENN news 20 July 2008 "Renner Caught Up In Film 'War'"]</ref>

"You can't fake that amount of heat," Anthony Mackie who plays Sgt. Sanborn says, adding, "When you are on set and all of the extras are Iraqi refugees, it really informs the movie that you're making. When you start hearing the stories from a true perspective... of people who were actually there, it gives you a clear viewpoint of where you are as an artist and the story you would like to tell. It was a great experience to be there."<ref name="VOA">[http://www.voanews.com/english/Entertainment/2009-07-13-voa41.cfm Voice of America (VOA), "'The Hurt Locker' Portays Drama, Tension of Real Life on Front Lines" by Alan Silverman, July 13, 2009]</ref>
"You can't fake that amount of heat," Anthony Mackie who plays Sgt. Sanborn says, adding, "When you are on set and all of the extras are Iraqi refugees, it really informs the movie that you're making. When you start hearing the stories from a true perspective... of people who were actually there, it gives you a clear viewpoint of where you are as an artist and the story you would like to tell. It was a great experience to be there."<ref name="VOA">[http://www.voanews.com/english/Entertainment/2009-07-13-voa41.cfm Voice of America (VOA), "'The Hurt Locker' Portays Drama, Tension of Real Life on Front Lines" by Alan Silverman, July 13, 2009]</ref>

==Premieres and festival screenings==
==Release==
The world premiere of ''The Hurt Locker'' was at the [[65th Venice International Film Festival|65th Annual]] [[Venice Film Festival]], Venice, Italy, on September 4, 2008.<ref name="Venice">[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117989668.html?categoryId=19&cs=1&nid=3078 Variety, "Venice Film Fest Announces Slate" by Nick Vivarelli, July 29, 2008]</ref> According to ''[[Variety (magazine)|VARIETY]]'', the bomb-squad actioner "jolted Venice" with high-adrenaline, receiving a ten minute standing ovation.<ref name="Jolt">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117991591&cs=1 Variety "Hurt Locker gives Venice a jolt" By Nick Vivarelli, Sept, 4, 2008]</ref>
===Festival screenings===
''The Hurt Locker'' had its world premiere at the [[Venice Film Festival]] on September&nbsp;4, 2008, and the film received a 10-minute standing ovation at the end of its screening.<ref name="jolt">{{cite journal | last=Vivarelli | first=Nick | url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117991591&cs=1 | title='Hurt Locker' gives Venice a jolt | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=September&nbsp;4, 2008 | accessdate=August&nbsp;12, 2009 }}</ref> The film won the [[SIGNIS]] grand prize at the Venice Film Festival. According to the jury’s statement, the motivation for this choice is "the filmmakers' uncompromising approach to the Iraq war and its consequences seen through the experience of the bomb technicians for whom war is an addiction rather than a cause. The film challenges the audience’s view of war in general and the current war in particular because it demonstrates the struggle between violence to the body and psychological alienation."<ref name="Signis">[http://journals.aol.com/rosepacatte/MyMovies/entries/2008/09/05/hurt-locker-wins-catholic-jury-prize-at-65th-venice-film-festival/2587 "HURT LOCKER wins Catholic Jury Prize at 65th Venice Film Festival"]</ref> ''The Hurt Locker'' received several other awards in Venice, including the Arca Cinemagiovani Award (Arca Young Cinema Award) for "Best Film Venezia 65" (chosen by an international youth jury); the Human Rights Film Network Award; and the "La Navicella" – Venezia Cinema Award.<ref name="VeniceAwards">[http://www.labiennale.org/en/news/cinema/en/80160.html Venice Film Festival Awards]</ref>
The film also won the [[SIGNIS]] grand prize at the Venice Film Festival. According to the jury’s statement, the motivation for this choice is "the filmmakers' uncompromising approach to the Iraq war and its consequences seen through the experience of the bomb technicians for whom war is an addiction rather than a cause. The film challenges the audience’s view of war in general and the current war in particular because it demonstrates the struggle between violence to the body and psychological alienation."<ref name="Signis">[http://journals.aol.com/rosepacatte/MyMovies/entries/2008/09/05/hurt-locker-wins-catholic-jury-prize-at-65th-venice-film-festival/2587 "HURT LOCKER wins Catholic Jury Prize at 65th Venice Film Festival"]</ref> ''The Hurt Locker'' received several other awards in Venice, including the Arca Cinemagiovani Award (Arca Young Cinema Award) for "Best Film Venezia 65" (chosen by an international youth jury); the Human Rights Film Network Award; and the "La Navicella" – Venezia Cinema Award.<ref name="VeniceAwards">[http://www.labiennale.org/en/news/cinema/en/80160.html Venice Film Festival Awards]</ref>

The film also screened at the [[2008 Toronto International Film Festival|33rd Annual]] [[Toronto International Film Festival]] on September&nbsp;8,<ref name="jolt" /> where it generated "keen interest", though distributors were reluctant to buy it since previous films about the Iraq War performed poorly at the box office.<ref name="interest">{{cite journal | last=McClintock | first=Pamela | coauthors=Anne Thompson | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991965.html?categoryid=1061&cs=1 | title=Bigelow's 'Locker' sparks interest | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=September&nbsp;9, 2008 | accessdate=August&nbsp;12, 2009 }}</ref> It was listed as being among the "top 6 picks" of the festival.<ref name="Vlessing">[http://themovie-fanatic.com/the_buzz!/movie_news/spike_lees_miracle_at_tiff/ "WWII Drama Among World Premieres..." by Etan Vlessing]</ref><ref name="Top6">[http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/tiff08/story.html?id=ed296418-3bdf-470b-a2a8-f854a1e11c05 "TIFF: Our Top 6 picks" Canwest News Service]</ref> Festival co-director Bailey says that ''The Hurt Locker'' "unlocked the key to making a film about the Iraq War. It transcends what is going on in the headlines... and finds something that's mysterious and symbolic."<ref name="VarFallFests">[http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2008/08/fall-fests-come.html Variety - Fall Fests Come into View, August 14, 2008]</ref> [[Summit Entertainment]] purchased the film for distribution in the United States in what was perceived as "a skittish climate for pic sales".<ref name="summit">{{cite journal | last=Swart | first=Sharon | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991968.html?categoryid=1061&cs=1 | title=Summit takes 'Hurt Locker' in U.S. | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=September&nbsp;10, 2008 | accessdate=August&nbsp;12, 2009 }}</ref>
The film's North American premiere was at the [[2008 Toronto International Film Festival|33rd Annual]] [[Toronto International Film Festival]], where it was listed as being among the "top 6 picks" of the festival.<ref name="Vlessing">[http://themovie-fanatic.com/the_buzz!/movie_news/spike_lees_miracle_at_tiff/ "WWII Drama Among World Premieres..." by Etan Vlessing]</ref><ref name="Top6">[http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/tiff08/story.html?id=ed296418-3bdf-470b-a2a8-f854a1e11c05 "TIFF: Our Top 6 picks" Canwest News Service]</ref> Festival co-director Bailey says that ''The Hurt Locker'' "unlocked the key to making a film about the Iraq War. It transcends what is going on in the headlines... and finds something that's mysterious and symbolic."<ref name="VarFallFests">[http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2008/08/fall-fests-come.html Variety - Fall Fests Come into View, August 14, 2008]</ref> Entertainment Weekly's film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum listed the film as her number one find at Toronto, adding: "Jeremy Renner gives a knockout performance... Every step he takes is truly a matter of life and death — for him as well as for the soldiers he serves with... the anxiety and tension of battle (are compressed) into every frame."<ref name="EW">[http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/09/run-dont-walk.html Entertainment Weekly "Toronto Film Festival highlights, including 'The Hurt Locker,' 'JVCD,' and '$9.99'" by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Sept. 11, 2008]</ref>

''The Hurt Locker'' went on a film festival world tour, having been screened out of competition at the [[Zurich Film Festival]]<ref name="Zurich">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117992031&cs=1 "Peter Fonda Rides to Zurich: Actor to head jury at Swiss festival" Variety, by Ed Meza, Sept. 11, 2008]</ref> and the 37th [[Festival du Nouveau Cinéma]] in [[Montreal]].<ref name="Montreal">[http://www.indiewire.com/buzz/080921.html#013402 Indiewire iW NEWS "Nouveau Cinema Announces Full Program" by Peter Knegt]</ref><ref name="Nouveau">[http://www.nomorepotlucks.org/news-arts/37th-festival-du-nouveau-cinema "The 37th Festival du Nouveau Cinéma Exciting films and extraordinary events for all audiences!" Sept. 24, 2008]</ref> It was scheduled as the opening film at the [[Mar del Plata, Argentina|Mar del Plata]] Film Festival in [[Argentina]] in mid-November 2008 and at the Fifth [[Dubai]] International Film Festival on December 16, 2008.<ref name="Mar">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117994960&cs=1 Variety "Hurt Locker to Open Mar Festival", by Charles Newbery, October 30, 2008]</ref><ref name="Mar2">[http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=41696&Category= Screen Daily, "The Hurt Locker Kicks off 23rd Mar del Plata Film Festival", by Diego Batlle, October 30, 2008]</ref><ref name="Dubai">[http://www.dubaifilmfest.com/en/films-explorer/?page_no=11&film_year=2008&letter=&keywords=&rowsPerPage=15&section= Official site Fifth Dubai International Film Festival]</ref> The film premiered at the 2008 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in [[Estonia]], and also at the [[Göteborg International Film Festival]] in [[Sweden]] in January 2009.<ref name="NYTimes">[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/movies/20comm.html?_r=1 The New York Times "Recovering Treasures From Below the Radar" February 20, 2009, By A. O. SCOTT]</ref><ref name="Tallinn">[http://mandelberger.cineuropa.org/2008/12/north-american-indies-at-tallinn-black.html Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival by Sandy Mandelberger, Cineuropa.org]</ref><ref name="Estonia">[http://2008.poff.ee/?lang=1&id=1915&module=1&todo=film Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia, official web site]</ref><ref name="Göteborg">[http://www.filmfestival.org/filmfestival/info/en/festivalprogram/programentry?filmId=165195 Göteborg Internation Film Festival official web site]</ref>
''The Hurt Locker'' continued on a film festival world tour during its pre-release run, having been screened out of competition at the [[Zurich Film Festival]]<ref name="Zurich">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117992031&cs=1 "Peter Fonda Rides to Zurich: Actor to head jury at Swiss festival" Variety, by Ed Meza, Sept. 11, 2008]</ref> and the 37th [[Festival du Nouveau Cinéma]] in [[Montreal]].<ref name="Montreal">[http://www.indiewire.com/buzz/080921.html#013402 Indiewire iW NEWS "Nouveau Cinema Announces Full Program" by Peter Knegt]</ref><ref name="Nouveau">[http://www.nomorepotlucks.org/news-arts/37th-festival-du-nouveau-cinema "The 37th Festival du Nouveau Cinéma Exciting films and extraordinary events for all audiences!" Sept. 24, 2008]</ref> It was scheduled as the opening film at the [[Mar del Plata, Argentina|Mar del Plata]] Film Festival in [[Argentina]] in mid-November 2008 and at the Fifth [[Dubai]] International Film Festival on December 16, 2008.<ref name="Mar">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117994960&cs=1 Variety "Hurt Locker to Open Mar Festival", by Charles Newbery, October 30, 2008]</ref><ref name="Mar2">[http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=41696&Category= Screen Daily, "The Hurt Locker Kicks off 23rd Mar del Plata Film Festival", by Diego Batlle, October 30, 2008]</ref><ref name="Dubai">[http://www.dubaifilmfest.com/en/films-explorer/?page_no=11&film_year=2008&letter=&keywords=&rowsPerPage=15&section= Official site Fifth Dubai International Film Festival]</ref> The film premiered at the 2008 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in [[Estonia]], and also at the [[Göteborg International Film Festival]] in [[Sweden]] in January 2009.<ref name="NYTimes"/><ref name="Tallinn">[http://mandelberger.cineuropa.org/2008/12/north-american-indies-at-tallinn-black.html Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival by Sandy Mandelberger, Cineuropa.org]</ref><ref name="Estonia">[http://2008.poff.ee/?lang=1&id=1915&module=1&todo=film Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia, official web site]</ref><ref name="Göteborg">[http://www.filmfestival.org/filmfestival/info/en/festivalprogram/programentry?filmId=165195 Göteborg Internation Film Festival official web site]</ref>

''The Hurt Locker'' was screened at the 2009 tenth annual [[Film Comment]] Selects Festival of the Film Society of [[Lincoln Center]].<ref name="FC">[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117999100.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 Variety "Film Comment Selects Fest Set: Films by Boorman, Schrader, Bigelow to Screen", January 26th, 2009, by Sam Thielman]</ref> The 2009 [[South by Southwest Film Festival]] in [[Austin, Texas]] also included ''The Hurt Locker'' screening out-of-competition.<ref name="SXSW">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117999404&cs=1 Variety "SXSW unveils lineup", by Tatiana Siegel, February 1st, 2009]</ref><ref name="SXSW2">[http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=42942&Category Screendaily.com "Hurt Locker, Adventureland, Passing Strange join lineup at SXSW", February 2nd, 2009, by Jeremy Kay]</ref>
''The Hurt Locker'' was screened at the 2009 tenth annual [[Film Comment]] Selects Festival of the Film Society of [[Lincoln Center]].<ref name="FC">[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117999100.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 Variety "Film Comment Selects Fest Set: Films by Boorman, Schrader, Bigelow to Screen", January 26th, 2009, by Sam Thielman]</ref> The 2009 [[South by Southwest Film Festival]] in [[Austin, Texas]] also included ''The Hurt Locker'' screening out-of-competition.<ref name="SXSW">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117999404&cs=1 Variety "SXSW unveils lineup", by Tatiana Siegel, February 1st, 2009]</ref><ref name="SXSW2">[http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=42942&Category Screendaily.com "Hurt Locker, Adventureland, Passing Strange join lineup at SXSW", February 2nd, 2009, by Jeremy Kay]</ref>

The film was a centerpiece presentation at the third annual 2009 AFI Dallas International Film Festival, where director Bigelow received an honorary Dallas Star Award.<ref name="AFID">[http://www.moviecitynews.com/Notepad/2009/090304_pr.html Movie City News - Press Release "AFI Dallas 2009", March 28, 2009]</ref><ref name="VarAFI">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1118000827&cs=1 Variety "Brothers Bloom to Open Dallas Fest: Hurt Locker Will also Screen at AFI event" by Dave McNary, March 4, 2009]</ref> ''The Hurt Locker'' also screened in Bologna, Italy as part of the 2009 Bologna Human Rights Nights Film Festival which ran from March 27, 2009 through April 5, 2009.<ref name="Rights">[http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-03-27_127337825.html ANSA.it "Bologna's Human Rights Nights", March 27, 2009]</ref> ''The Hurt Locker'' has also screened at The [[Seattle International Film Festival]] in May 2009 and at the 2009 [[Philadelphia Film Festival]].<ref name="Seattle">[http://www.siff.net/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=28805&FID=123 Seattle International Film Festival web site "The Hurt Locker"]</ref><ref name="Philly">[http://www.phillycinefest.com/film-details.cfm?id=8566 Philadelphia Film Festival web site "The Hurt Locker"]</ref>
The film was a centerpiece presentation at the third annual 2009 AFI Dallas International Film Festival, where director Bigelow received an honorary Dallas Star Award.<ref name="AFID">[http://www.moviecitynews.com/Notepad/2009/090304_pr.html Movie City News - Press Release "AFI Dallas 2009", March 28, 2009]</ref><ref name="VarAFI">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1118000827&cs=1 Variety "Brothers Bloom to Open Dallas Fest: Hurt Locker Will also Screen at AFI event" by Dave McNary, March 4, 2009]</ref> ''The Hurt Locker'' also screened in Bologna, Italy as part of the 2009 Bologna Human Rights Nights Film Festival which ran from March 27, 2009 through April 5, 2009.<ref name="Rights">[http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-03-27_127337825.html ANSA.it "Bologna's Human Rights Nights", March 27, 2009]</ref> ''The Hurt Locker'' has also screened at The [[Seattle International Film Festival]] in May 2009 and at the 2009 [[Philadelphia Film Festival]].<ref name="Seattle">[http://www.siff.net/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=28805&FID=123 Seattle International Film Festival web site "The Hurt Locker"]</ref><ref name="Philly">[http://www.phillycinefest.com/film-details.cfm?id=8566 Philadelphia Film Festival web site "The Hurt Locker"]</ref>

==Reception==
===Theatrical run===

''The Hurt Locker'' has been very "universally acclaimed" among critics, with a 94 average rating on [[Metacritic]] and a 98% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]]' "Top Critics".<ref name="MCreviews">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/hurtlocker|title=Hurt Locker, The|date=2009-07-09|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=2009-07-12}}</ref><ref name="RTreviews">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hurt_locker/?critic=creamcrop|title=The Hurt Locker (2009) "Top Critics"|date=2009-07-19|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=2009-07-19}}</ref> Tomatoes has "certified" the film as "fresh", its highest rating. The official consensus of film critics is, "A well-acted, intensely shot, action filled war epic, Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker is thus far the best of the recent dramatizations of the Iraq War."<ref name="RTreviews">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hurt_locker/?critic=creamcrop|title=The Hurt Locker (2009) "Top Critics"|date=2009-07-19|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=2009-07-19}}</ref><ref>http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hDDmuYwtL9MS6gTR0g5m7Z9nazcAD99007084</ref><ref>http://www.ifc.com/news/2009/06/life-during-wartime.php</ref><ref>http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2009/06/29/090629crci_cinema_denby</ref>
''The Hurt Locker'' was first publicly released in Italy by Warner Bros. Pictures on October&nbsp;10, 2008.<ref name="jolt" /> Its next public release was in the United States, where it had a limited release at four theaters on June&nbsp;26, 2009.<ref name="bom">{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hurtlocker.htm | title=The Hurt Locker (2009) | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2009-07-23}}</ref> The film had the highest per-screen average box office during its limited opening weekend, which averaged $36,000 per screen besting that of box office hit, ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]].''<ref name="HitFix">[http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2009-6-28-dark-knight-record-holds-but-transformers-revenge-of-the-fallen-has-massive-opening "'The Hurt Locker' gets off to a strong start with $144,000 in only 4 theaters" AP / HitFix, By David Germain (AP), June 28, 2009]</ref><ref name="Huge">[http://www.indiewire.com/article/box_office_hurt_locker_huge/ "Box Office: “Hurt Locker” Huge; “Cheri” Disappoints" by Peter Knegt, Indiewire, June 29, 2009]</ref> It held the highest per-screen-average of any movie playing theatrically in the U.S. for the first two weeks of its release, gradually moving into the top 20 chart with much wider-released, bigger budget studio films. It has hovered around number 13 or number 14 on box office charts for an additional four weeks.<ref name="APTop20">[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ia1FPSxXY_CtWNU2djwNxRbGiU3wD99IFEA80 AP - 'Harry Potter' franchise shows no sign of slowing (list of top 20 films)]</ref> Based on that success, distributor [[Summit Entertainment]] went wider to more than 500 screens on July 24, 2009.<ref name="bom" /><ref name="VBO">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=b_o_weekend&dept=Film Variety.com - Weekend Box Office, July 10 - July 12, 2009]</ref><ref name="EWPick">[http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/07/jeremy-renner-hurt-locker-must-list.html Entertainment Weekly "Jeremy Renner in 'The Hurt Locker' makes our Must List", by Jean Bentley, July 8, 2009]</ref><ref name="Mend">[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ia1FPSxXY_CtWNU2djwNxRbGiU3wD99IFEA80 HuffPost Box Office in Review by Scott Mendelson, July 19, 2009]</ref> As of August 11, 2009, the independently produced and financed film has grossed a total of $9,714,263 in the U.S., Italy and Iceland. It has not yet been released in other foreign countries or territories.<ref name="bom">{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hurtlocker.htm | title=The Hurt Locker (2009) | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2009-08-11}}</ref>

According to the Los Angeles Times, ''The Hurt Locker'' has performed better than most recent dramas about Middle East conflict. The independent film was acquired by Summit Entertainment at last year's [[Toronto International Film Festival]] for $1.5 million and has since made almost ten million. According to the Times, ''The Hurt Locker'' has already outperformed 2007's ''[[In the Valley of Elah]]'' (which had $6.8 million domestic theatrical gross), will soon go by 2008's ''[[Stop-Loss]]'' ($10.9 million) and even could surpass 2007's ''[[Lions for Lambs]]'' ($15 million), which starred A-listers [[Tom Cruise]], [[Meryl Streep]] and [[Robert Redford]].<ref name="Defies">[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-word6-2009aug06,0,2706666.story The Los Angeles Times "The Hurt Locker defies the odds", By John Horn, August 5, 2009]</ref>

===Critical reception===
''The Hurt Locker'' has received widespread acclaim from critics.<ref name="MCreviews">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/hurtlocker|title=Hurt Locker, The|date=2009-07-22|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=2009-08-09}}</ref> [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported that 98% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on a sample of 130, with an [[weighted mean|average]] score of 8.4 out of 10.<ref name="RTreviews">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hurt_locker/?critic=creamcrop|title=The Hurt Locker (2009) "Top Critics"|date=2009-07-22|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=2009-08-09}}</ref> At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[Standard score|normalized]] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 94 based on 33 reviews.<ref name="MCreviews"/> Several reviewers have described it as the best film yet made about the Iraq war.<ref>http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hDDmuYwtL9MS6gTR0g5m7Z9nazcAD99007084</ref><ref>http://www.ifc.com/news/2009/06/life-during-wartime.php</ref><ref>http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2009/06/29/090629crci_cinema_denby</ref>

Reviewing the film for ''[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]'' magazine at Venice, film critic [[Richard Corliss]] said, "The Hurt Locker is a near-perfect movie about men in war, men at work. Through sturdy imagery and violent action, it says that even Hell needs heroes."<ref name="Time">[http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1838615,00.html Time Magazine - Corliss on Film - "The Hurt Locker: A Near-Perfect War Film", by Richard Corliss, Venice, Sept 4, 2008]</ref> ''[[Toronto Star]]'' critic Peter Howell said, "Just when you think the battle of Iraq war dramas has been fought and lost, along comes one that demands to be seen... If you can sit through The Hurt Locker without your heart nearly pounding through your chest, you must be made of granite."<ref name="TStar">[http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/FilmFest/article/487954 The Star.com "The Hurt Locker" by Peter Howell, Movie Critic, Aug 31, 2008]</ref> [[Entertainment Weekly]]'s film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the film the rare "A" rating, calling it, "an intense, action-driven war pic, a muscular, efficient standout that simultaneously conveys the feeling of combat from within as well as what it looks like on the ground. This ain't no war videogame."<ref name="EW2">[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20285519,00.html Entertainment Weekly "The Hurt Locker Movie Review" by Lisa Schwarzbaum, June 16, 2009]</ref>
Reviewing the film for ''[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]'' magazine at Venice, film critic [[Richard Corliss]] said, "The Hurt Locker is a near-perfect movie about men in war, men at work. Through sturdy imagery and violent action, it says that even Hell needs heroes."<ref name="Time">[http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1838615,00.html Time Magazine - Corliss on Film - "The Hurt Locker: A Near-Perfect War Film", by Richard Corliss, Venice, Sept 4, 2008]</ref> ''[[Toronto Star]]'' critic Peter Howell said, "Just when you think the battle of Iraq war dramas has been fought and lost, along comes one that demands to be seen... If you can sit through The Hurt Locker without your heart nearly pounding through your chest, you must be made of granite."<ref name="TStar">[http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/FilmFest/article/487954 The Star.com "The Hurt Locker" by Peter Howell, Movie Critic, Aug 31, 2008]</ref> [[Entertainment Weekly]]'s film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the film the rare "A" rating, calling it, "an intense, action-driven war pic, a muscular, efficient standout that simultaneously conveys the feeling of combat from within as well as what it looks like on the ground. This ain't no war videogame."<ref name="EW2">[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20285519,00.html Entertainment Weekly "The Hurt Locker Movie Review" by Lisa Schwarzbaum, June 16, 2009]</ref>

Film critic [[Kenneth Turan]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' praised the film with, "''The Hurt Locker'' has killer impact... Overwhelmingly tense, overflowing with crackling verisimilitude, it's the film about the war in Iraq that we've been waiting for."<ref name="Turan">[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-hurtlocker26-2009jun26,0,4546320.story The Los Angeles Times "The Hurt Locker - Movie Review" by Kenneth Turan, June 26, 2009]</ref>
Film critic [[Kenneth Turan]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' praised the film with, "''The Hurt Locker'' has killer impact... Overwhelmingly tense, overflowing with crackling verisimilitude, it's the film about the war in Iraq that we've been waiting for."<ref name="Turan">[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-hurtlocker26-2009jun26,0,4546320.story The Los Angeles Times "The Hurt Locker - Movie Review" by Kenneth Turan, June 26, 2009]</ref>

The ''[[New York Times]]'' film critic [[A.O. Scott]] wrote of the film, "''The Hurt Locker'' is the best nondocumentary American feature made yet about the war in Iraq... You may emerge from “The Hurt Locker” shaken, exhilarated and drained, but you will also be thinking."<ref name="NYTimes2">[http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/movies/26hurt.html The New York Times, "The Hurt Locker: Soldiers on a Live Wire Between Peril and Protocol" by A.O. Scott, June 26, 2009]</ref> [[Joe Morgenstern]] of the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' called it, "A first-rate action thriller, a vivid evocation of urban warfare in Iraq, a penetrating study of heroism and a showcase for austere technique, terse writing and a trio of brilliant performances."<ref name="WSJ">[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204621904574249972655817950.html "Locker: Shock, Awe, Brilliance", The Wall Street Journal film review, by Joe Morgenstern, June 29, 2009]</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of [[The Chicago Sun Times]] gave it four stars stating, "''The Hurt Locker'' represents a return to strong, exciting narrative. Here is a film about a bomb disposal expert that depends on character, dialogue and situation to develop almost unbearable suspense... Staff Sgt. James is played by Jeremy Renner, who immediately goes on the short list for an Oscar nomination. His performance is not built on complex speeches but on a visceral projection of who this man is and what he feels."<ref name="Ebert">[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090708/REVIEWS/907089997 Roger Ebert "The Hurt Locker" Review, Chicago Sun Times, July 8, 2009]</ref><ref name="Ebert2">[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/07/not_how_the_army_would_fight_aliens.html Roger Ebert's Journal "Open the Hurt Locker and Learn how Rough Men Come Hunting for Souls", July 10, 2009]</ref>
The ''[[New York Times]]'' film critic [[A.O. Scott]] wrote of the film, "''The Hurt Locker'' is the best nondocumentary American feature made yet about the war in Iraq... You may emerge from “The Hurt Locker” shaken, exhilarated and drained, but you will also be thinking."<ref name="NYTimes2">[http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/movies/26hurt.html The New York Times, "The Hurt Locker: Soldiers on a Live Wire Between Peril and Protocol" by A.O. Scott, June 26, 2009]</ref> [[Joe Morgenstern]] of the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' called it, "A first-rate action thriller, a vivid evocation of urban warfare in Iraq, a penetrating study of heroism and a showcase for austere technique, terse writing and a trio of brilliant performances."<ref name="WSJ">[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204621904574249972655817950.html "Locker: Shock, Awe, Brilliance", The Wall Street Journal film review, by Joe Morgenstern, June 29, 2009]</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of [[The Chicago Sun Times]] gave it four stars stating, "''The Hurt Locker'' represents a return to strong, exciting narrative. Here is a film about a bomb disposal expert that depends on character, dialogue and situation to develop almost unbearable suspense... Staff Sgt. James is played by Jeremy Renner, who immediately goes on the short list for an Oscar nomination. His performance is not built on complex speeches but on a visceral projection of who this man is and what he feels."<ref name="Ebert">[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090708/REVIEWS/907089997 Roger Ebert "The Hurt Locker" Review, Chicago Sun Times, July 8, 2009]</ref><ref name="Ebert2">[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/07/not_how_the_army_would_fight_aliens.html Roger Ebert's Journal "Open the Hurt Locker and Learn how Rough Men Come Hunting for Souls", July 10, 2009]</ref> Ebert has taken up the "cause" of this independent film on his blog several times since first reviewing it. He has since lectured young teens that they should see this film rather than mindlessly supporting box office "junk food" like [[Michael Bay]]'s ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]''.<ref name="Ebert2">[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/07/not_how_the_army_would_fight_aliens.html Roger Ebert's Journal "Open the Hurt Locker and Learn how Rough Men Come Hunting for Souls", July 10, 2009]</ref><ref name="Ebert3">[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/08/the_gathering_dark_age.html Roger Ebert's Journal "The Gathering Dark Age" August 6, 2009]</ref>

Less favorably, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Derek Elley comments "war may be hell, but watching war movies can also be hell, especially when they don't get to the point."<ref name="Varietyreview">{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117938188.html?categoryid=3212&cs=1|title=The Hurt Locker|last=Elley|first=Derek|date=2008-09-05|publisher=Variety|accessdate=2009-06-25}}</ref> Elley did praise the film's editing, cinematography, costume and production design, while ''Variety'' contributor [[Anne Thompson]] has called the film, "riveting and intense", suggesting that it could be an early contender for the [[82nd Academy Awards|2009 Academy Awards]].<ref name="Thompson">[http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/04/trailer-watch-the-hurt-locker-.html?query=The+Hurt+Locker Thompson on Hollywood Blog, Variety, "Trailer Watch: The Hurt Locker", April 15, 2009]</ref><ref name="Thompson2">[http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/06/hurt-locker-other-award-pics-directed-by-women.html?query=The+Hurt+Locker Thompson on Hollywood Blog, Variety, "Hurt Locker, Other Award Pics Directed by Women," June 28, 2009]</ref><ref name="Thompson3">[http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-catchup-holiday-bo-harry-potter-review-brennan-klein-rip-andreessen-fund.html?query=The+Hurt+Locker Thompson on Hollywood Blog, Variety, "Weekend Catch-Up: Holiday B.O., Harry Potter Review, Brennan, Klein R.I.P., Andreessen Fund," July 5, 2009]</ref>
''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' contributor Derek Elley comments, "War may be hell, but watching war movies can also be hell."<ref name="Varietyreview">{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117938188.html?categoryid=3212&cs=1|title=The Hurt Locker|last=Elley|first=Derek|date=2008-09-05|publisher=Variety|accessdate=2009-06-25}}</ref> Elley also praised the film's editing, cinematography, costume and production design. ''Variety'' contributor [[Anne Thompson]] has also called the film, "riveting and intense", suggesting, like film critic [[Roger Ebert]], that it could be an early contender for the [[82nd Academy Awards|2009 Academy Awards]].<ref name="Thompson">[http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/04/trailer-watch-the-hurt-locker-.html?query=The+Hurt+Locker Thompson on Hollywood Blog, Variety, "Trailer Watch: The Hurt Locker", April 15, 2009]</ref><ref name="Thompson2">[http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/06/hurt-locker-other-award-pics-directed-by-women.html?query=The+Hurt+Locker Thompson on Hollywood Blog, Variety, "Hurt Locker, Other Award Pics Directed by Women," June 28, 2009]</ref><ref name="Thompson3">[http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-catchup-holiday-bo-harry-potter-review-brennan-klein-rip-andreessen-fund.html?query=The+Hurt+Locker Thompson on Hollywood Blog, Variety, "Weekend Catch-Up: Holiday B.O., Harry Potter Review, Brennan, Klein R.I.P., Andreessen Fund," July 5, 2009]</ref>

Kyle Smith of the ''[[New York Post]]'' said "Despite its pumped-up admiration for our troops and some scenes that spurt adrenaline like a fire hose, this sort-of-thriller about a bomb squad working in 2004 is stretched both timewise and for plausibility."<ref name="NYPostreview">{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/06262009/entertainment/movies/defuse_or_lose_176112.htm|title=Defuse or Lose|last=Smith|first=Kyle|date=2009-06-26|publisher=New York Post|accessdate=2009-07-02}}</ref>
Kyle Smith of the ''New York Post'' said, "Despite its pumped-up admiration for our troops and some scenes that spurt adrenaline like a fire hose... ''The Hurt Locker'' hurls you into what asymmetric warfare means in Iraq."<ref name="NYPostreview">[http://www.nypost.com/seven/06262009/entertainment/movies/defuse_or_lose_176112.htm "Defuse or Lose" by Kyle Smith, June 26, 2009, New York Post]</ref>

===Awards and honors===
===Box office===
The film had the highest per-screen average box office during its limited opening weekend, which averaged $36,000 per screen besting that of box office hit, ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]].''<ref name="HitFix">[http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2009-6-28-dark-knight-record-holds-but-transformers-revenge-of-the-fallen-has-massive-opening "'The Hurt Locker' gets off to a strong start with $144,000 in only 4 theaters" AP / HitFix, By David Germain (AP), June 28, 2009]</ref><ref name="Huge">[http://www.indiewire.com/article/box_office_hurt_locker_huge/ "Box Office: “Hurt Locker” Huge; “Cheri” Disappoints" by Peter Knegt, Indiewire, June 29, 2009]</ref> It held the highest per-screen-average of any movie playing theatrically in the U.S. for the first two weeks of its release, gradually moving into the top 20 chart with much wider-released, bigger budget studio films. It has hovered around number 13 or number 14 on box office charts for an additional four weeks.<ref name="APTop20">[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ia1FPSxXY_CtWNU2djwNxRbGiU3wD99IFEA80 AP - 'Harry Potter' franchise shows no sign of slowing (list of top 20 films)]</ref> Based on that success, distributor [[Summit Entertainment]] went wider to more than 500 screens on July 24, 2009.<ref name="bom">{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hurtlocker.htm | title=The Hurt Locker (2009) | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2009-07-23}}</ref><ref name="VBO">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=b_o_weekend&dept=Film Variety.com - Weekend Box Office, July 10 - July 12, 2009]</ref><ref name="EWPick">[http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/07/jeremy-renner-hurt-locker-must-list.html Entertainment Weekly "Jeremy Renner in 'The Hurt Locker' makes our Must List", by Jean Bentley, July 8, 2009]</ref><ref name="Mend">[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ia1FPSxXY_CtWNU2djwNxRbGiU3wD99IFEA80 HuffPost Box Office in Review by Scott Mendelson, July 19, 2009]</ref> As of August 14, 2009, the independently produced and financed film has grossed a total of $9,714,263 in the U.S., Italy and Iceland. It has not yet been released in other foreign countries or territories.<ref name="bom">{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hurtlocker.htm | title=The Hurt Locker (2009) | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2009-08-14}}</ref>
Besides the four award wins and five nominations at the Venice Film Festival, ''The Hurt Locker'' was also nominated for International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE PLUS Grand Prix Golden Frog award for best cinematography by [[Barry Ackroyd]].<ref name="GF">[http://www.pluscamerimage.pl/index.php?lang=en&pg=877a593669cc196 Cameraimage Plus Grand Prix Golden Frog nominations official site]</ref> Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie were nominated for best acting categories for the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards.<ref name="Indies">[http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117996677.html?nav=news&categoryid=1983&cs=1 Variety "Film trio feel the Spirit" by Erin Maxwell, Michael Jones, December 2, 2008]</ref> The AFI Dallas 2009 International Film Festival has awarded the AFI DALLAS honorary Star Award to the film's director, Bigelow.<ref name="AFID"/><ref name="VarAFI">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1118000827&cs=1 Variety "Brothers Bloom to Open Dallas Fest: Hurt Locker will also Screen at AFI event" by Dave McNary, March 4, 2009]</ref> The film's director has also received recognition from ShoWest, the annual film exhibition confab in Las Vegas.<ref name="HRShow">The Hollywood Reporter "Kathryn Bigelow tapped for ShoWest nod", March 26, 2009</ref> At the 14th Annual Nantucket International Film Festival in Massachusetts, the Showtime Tony Cox Award for Screenwriting was awarded to ''The Hurt Locker'' screenwriter, Mark Boal.<ref name="Nan">[http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/other-festivals/festival-news/nantucket-honours-the-cove-dabis-and-deller/5002713.article Screen Daily "Nantucket honours The Cove, Dabis and Deller", June 22, 2009, by Wendy Mitchell]</ref>

According to the Los Angeles Times, ''The Hurt Locker'' has performed better than most recent dramas about Middle East conflict. The independent film was acquired by Summit Entertainment at last year's [[Toronto International Film Festival]] for $1.5 million and has since made almost ten million. According to the Times, ''The Hurt Locker'' has already outperformed 2007's ''[[In the Valley of Elah]]'' (which had $6.8 million domestic theatrical gross), will soon go by 2008's ''[[Stop-Loss]]'' ($10.9 million) and even could surpass 2007's ''[[Lions for Lambs]]'' ($15 million), which starred A-listers [[Tom Cruise]], [[Meryl Streep]] and [[Robert Redford]].<ref name="Defies">[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-word6-2009aug06,0,2706666.story The Los Angeles Times "The Hurt Locker defies the odds", By John Horn, August 5, 2009]</ref>
===Awards and nominations===
Besides the four award wins and five nominations at the Venice Film Festival, ''The Hurt Locker'' was also nominated for International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE PLUS Grand Prix Golden Frog award for best cinematography by [[Barry Ackroyd]].<ref name="GF">[http://www.pluscamerimage.pl/index.php?lang=en&pg=877a593669cc196 Cameraimage Plus Grand Prix Golden Frog nominations official site]</ref> Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie were nominated for best acting categories for the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards.<ref name="Indies"/> The AFI Dallas 2009 International Film Festival has awarded the AFI DALLAS honorary Star Award to the film's director, Bigelow.<ref name="AFID"/><ref name="VarAFI">[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1118000827&cs=1 Variety "Brothers Bloom to Open Dallas Fest: Hurt Locker will also Screen at AFI event" by Dave McNary, March 4, 2009]</ref> The film's director has also received recognition from ShoWest, the annual film exhibition confab in Las Vegas.<ref name="HRShow">The Hollywood Reporter "Kathryn Bigelow tapped for ShoWest nod", March 26, 2009</ref> At the 14th Annual Nantucket International Film Festival in Massachusetts, the Showtime Tony Cox Award for Screenwriting was awarded to ''The Hurt Locker'' screenwriter, Mark Boal.<ref name="Nan">[http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/other-festivals/festival-news/nantucket-honours-the-cove-dabis-and-deller/5002713.article Screen Daily "Nantucket honours The Cove, Dabis and Deller", June 22, 2009, by Wendy Mitchell]</ref>
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==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
==External links==
* {{official|http://www.thehurtlocker-movie.com/}}
* {{official|http://www.thehurtlocker-movie.com/}}
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* [http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/453168 "TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: Cera's special presentation" Linda Barnard, Toronto Star Jul 03, 2008]
* [http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/453168 "TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: Cera's special presentation" Linda Barnard, Toronto Star Jul 03, 2008]
* [http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12000929 "Waiting for John Wayne: American audiences have been staying at home, not tempted by films about an unpopular war. Perhaps the emergence of a new hero may do the trick" The Economist, Aug 28th 2008, LOS ANGELES]
* [http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12000929 "Waiting for John Wayne: American audiences have been staying at home, not tempted by films about an unpopular war. Perhaps the emergence of a new hero may do the trick" The Economist, Aug 28th 2008, LOS ANGELES]

{{Kathryn Bigelow}}
{{Kathryn Bigelow}}

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Revision as of 17:51, 14 August 2009

The Hurt Locker
Directed byKathryn Bigelow
Written byMark Boal
Produced byExecutive
Tony Mark
Co-producer
Nicolas Chartier
Kathryn Bigelow
Mark Boal
Greg Shapiro
Donall McCusker
StarringJeremy Renner
Anthony Mackie
Brian Geraghty
Evangeline Lilly
Ralph Fiennes
David Morse
Guy Pearce
Christian Camargo
CinematographyBarry Ackroyd
Edited byChris Innis
Bob Murawski
Music byMarco Beltrami
Buck Sanders
Distributed bySummit Entertainment
Release dates
Venice Film Festival
September 4, 2008
Italy
October 10, 2008
United States
June 26, 2009
Running time
131 minutes
CountryTemplate:FilmUS
LanguageEnglish
Budget$11 million (estimate)
Box office$9,714,263 [1]

The Hurt Locker is a critically-acclaimed 2009 American war thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow.[2] Shot in Jordan, the film is based on recently declassified information about a U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) (bomb squad) team in 2004 Iraq. The Hurt Locker is written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded with a bomb squad.[3][4]

The Hurt Locker was picked up by distributor Summit Entertainment.[5] The film was released in the United States on June 26, 2009 in New York and Los Angeles. Based on the success of its limited run, the independent film began to go wider on July 24, 2009.[6][7][8][9][10] World-renown film critic Roger Ebert who gave the film a full four stars and "two thumbs up," said of the film, The Hurt Locker is a great film, an intelligent film... a spellbinding war film... The suspense is real and it is earned."[11][12][13]

Plot

In Iraq, a U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit is forced to play a dangerous game of cat and mouse in the chaos of war in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.[14] Jeremy Renner plays the leader of the EOD team along with Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, as they contend with not only defusing bombs in the backdrop of a war, but also the psychological and emotional strain that the job inflicts.[15]

Overview

The Hurt Locker stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, and Evangeline Lilly.[16][17][18][19][20]

The script was written by first-time screenwriter Mark Boal, a freelance writer who has contributed to Playboy, The Village Voice and Rolling Stone magazines and who also wrote the short story that inspired the film In the Valley of Elah.[16] Boal spent time embedded with a real bomb squad, which was a source for the story.[21] According to Boal, "It's the first movie about the Iraq war that purports to show the experience of the soldiers."[22]

Other members of the key filmmaking crew include director of photography Barry Ackroyd, film editors Chris Innis and Bob Murawski, production designer Karl Júlíusson, production sound mixer Ray Beckett, and costume designer George Little. The film's real explosions and special effects were designed by Richard Stutsman and his team. The score was composed by Academy Award nominated composer Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders.

The Hurt Locker was shot mainly on location in the Middle East, during the height of the Iraq war surge. Often four or more camera crews filmed simultaneously, which resulted in nearly 200 hours of footage.[23][24] There were also two days of pick up shots filmed in or around Vancouver, Canada, to accommodate home town actress Evangeline Lilly.

Although the filmmakers scouted for locations in Morocco, director Kathryn Bigelow sought greater authenticity and decided to film in Jordan because of its close proximity to Iraq. Some of the locations were less than three miles from the Iraqi border.[23] All the Iraqi roles in the film were played by displaced Iraqi war refugees living in Jordan, many of them trained actors who had been forced to flee their country.[23]. They included roles by Suhail Aldabbach, Nabil Koni, Feisal Sadoun, Imad Dadudi, Hasan Darwish, Wasfi Amour, Nibras Quassem, Nader Tarawneh and very notably Christopher Sayegh in the role of "Beckham", the Iraqi street vendor kid who befriends Sergeant First Class William James played by Jeremy Renner.

Lead actor Jeremy Renner, who trained with real EOD teams prior to shooting the film, says that great pains were taken to ensure the film's authenticity.[25] According to Renner, shooting the film in the Middle East contributed to this. "There were two by fours with nails being dropped from two-story buildings that hit me in the helmet and they were throwing rocks... we got shot at a few times while we were filming," Renner said. "When you see it, you're gonna feel like you've been in war."[26]

"You can't fake that amount of heat," Anthony Mackie who plays Sgt. Sanborn says, adding, "When you are on set and all of the extras are Iraqi refugees, it really informs the movie that you're making. When you start hearing the stories from a true perspective... of people who were actually there, it gives you a clear viewpoint of where you are as an artist and the story you would like to tell. It was a great experience to be there."[27]

Premieres and festival screenings

The world premiere of The Hurt Locker was at the 65th Annual Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, on September 4, 2008.[28] According to VARIETY, the bomb-squad actioner "jolted Venice" with high-adrenaline, receiving a ten minute standing ovation.[29]

The film also won the SIGNIS grand prize at the Venice Film Festival. According to the jury’s statement, the motivation for this choice is "the filmmakers' uncompromising approach to the Iraq war and its consequences seen through the experience of the bomb technicians for whom war is an addiction rather than a cause. The film challenges the audience’s view of war in general and the current war in particular because it demonstrates the struggle between violence to the body and psychological alienation."[30] The Hurt Locker received several other awards in Venice, including the Arca Cinemagiovani Award (Arca Young Cinema Award) for "Best Film Venezia 65" (chosen by an international youth jury); the Human Rights Film Network Award; and the "La Navicella" – Venezia Cinema Award.[31]

The film's North American premiere was at the 33rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival, where it was listed as being among the "top 6 picks" of the festival.[32][33] Festival co-director Bailey says that The Hurt Locker "unlocked the key to making a film about the Iraq War. It transcends what is going on in the headlines... and finds something that's mysterious and symbolic."[34] Entertainment Weekly's film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum listed the film as her number one find at Toronto, adding: "Jeremy Renner gives a knockout performance... Every step he takes is truly a matter of life and death — for him as well as for the soldiers he serves with... the anxiety and tension of battle (are compressed) into every frame."[35]

The Hurt Locker continued on a film festival world tour during its pre-release run, having been screened out of competition at the Zurich Film Festival[36] and the 37th Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal.[37][38] It was scheduled as the opening film at the Mar del Plata Film Festival in Argentina in mid-November 2008 and at the Fifth Dubai International Film Festival on December 16, 2008.[39][40][41] The film premiered at the 2008 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, and also at the Göteborg International Film Festival in Sweden in January 2009.[2][42][43][44]

The Hurt Locker was screened at the 2009 tenth annual Film Comment Selects Festival of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.[45] The 2009 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas also included The Hurt Locker screening out-of-competition.[46][47]

The film was a centerpiece presentation at the third annual 2009 AFI Dallas International Film Festival, where director Bigelow received an honorary Dallas Star Award.[48][49] The Hurt Locker also screened in Bologna, Italy as part of the 2009 Bologna Human Rights Nights Film Festival which ran from March 27, 2009 through April 5, 2009.[50] The Hurt Locker has also screened at The Seattle International Film Festival in May 2009 and at the 2009 Philadelphia Film Festival.[51][52]

Reception

The Hurt Locker has been very "universally acclaimed" among critics, with a 94 average rating on Metacritic and a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics".[53][54] Tomatoes has "certified" the film as "fresh", its highest rating. The official consensus of film critics is, "A well-acted, intensely shot, action filled war epic, Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker is thus far the best of the recent dramatizations of the Iraq War."[54][55][56][57]

Reviewing the film for TIME magazine at Venice, film critic Richard Corliss said, "The Hurt Locker is a near-perfect movie about men in war, men at work. Through sturdy imagery and violent action, it says that even Hell needs heroes."[58] Toronto Star critic Peter Howell said, "Just when you think the battle of Iraq war dramas has been fought and lost, along comes one that demands to be seen... If you can sit through The Hurt Locker without your heart nearly pounding through your chest, you must be made of granite."[59] Entertainment Weekly's film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the film the rare "A" rating, calling it, "an intense, action-driven war pic, a muscular, efficient standout that simultaneously conveys the feeling of combat from within as well as what it looks like on the ground. This ain't no war videogame."[60]

Film critic Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times praised the film with, "The Hurt Locker has killer impact... Overwhelmingly tense, overflowing with crackling verisimilitude, it's the film about the war in Iraq that we've been waiting for."[61]

The New York Times film critic A.O. Scott wrote of the film, "The Hurt Locker is the best nondocumentary American feature made yet about the war in Iraq... You may emerge from “The Hurt Locker” shaken, exhilarated and drained, but you will also be thinking."[62] Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal called it, "A first-rate action thriller, a vivid evocation of urban warfare in Iraq, a penetrating study of heroism and a showcase for austere technique, terse writing and a trio of brilliant performances."[63] Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun Times gave it four stars stating, "The Hurt Locker represents a return to strong, exciting narrative. Here is a film about a bomb disposal expert that depends on character, dialogue and situation to develop almost unbearable suspense... Staff Sgt. James is played by Jeremy Renner, who immediately goes on the short list for an Oscar nomination. His performance is not built on complex speeches but on a visceral projection of who this man is and what he feels."[11][12] Ebert has taken up the "cause" of this independent film on his blog several times since first reviewing it. He has since lectured young teens that they should see this film rather than mindlessly supporting box office "junk food" like Michael Bay's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.[12][13]

Variety contributor Derek Elley comments, "War may be hell, but watching war movies can also be hell."[64] Elley also praised the film's editing, cinematography, costume and production design. Variety contributor Anne Thompson has also called the film, "riveting and intense", suggesting, like film critic Roger Ebert, that it could be an early contender for the 2009 Academy Awards.[65][66][67]

Kyle Smith of the New York Post said, "Despite its pumped-up admiration for our troops and some scenes that spurt adrenaline like a fire hose... The Hurt Locker hurls you into what asymmetric warfare means in Iraq."[68]

Box office

The film had the highest per-screen average box office during its limited opening weekend, which averaged $36,000 per screen besting that of box office hit, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.[69][70] It held the highest per-screen-average of any movie playing theatrically in the U.S. for the first two weeks of its release, gradually moving into the top 20 chart with much wider-released, bigger budget studio films. It has hovered around number 13 or number 14 on box office charts for an additional four weeks.[71] Based on that success, distributor Summit Entertainment went wider to more than 500 screens on July 24, 2009.[1][72][73][74] As of August 14, 2009, the independently produced and financed film has grossed a total of $9,714,263 in the U.S., Italy and Iceland. It has not yet been released in other foreign countries or territories.[1]

According to the Los Angeles Times, The Hurt Locker has performed better than most recent dramas about Middle East conflict. The independent film was acquired by Summit Entertainment at last year's Toronto International Film Festival for $1.5 million and has since made almost ten million. According to the Times, The Hurt Locker has already outperformed 2007's In the Valley of Elah (which had $6.8 million domestic theatrical gross), will soon go by 2008's Stop-Loss ($10.9 million) and even could surpass 2007's Lions for Lambs ($15 million), which starred A-listers Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.[75]

Awards and nominations

Besides the four award wins and five nominations at the Venice Film Festival, The Hurt Locker was also nominated for International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE PLUS Grand Prix Golden Frog award for best cinematography by Barry Ackroyd.[76] Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie were nominated for best acting categories for the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards.[20] The AFI Dallas 2009 International Film Festival has awarded the AFI DALLAS honorary Star Award to the film's director, Bigelow.[48][49] The film's director has also received recognition from ShoWest, the annual film exhibition confab in Las Vegas.[77] At the 14th Annual Nantucket International Film Festival in Massachusetts, the Showtime Tony Cox Award for Screenwriting was awarded to The Hurt Locker screenwriter, Mark Boal.[78]

Year Award Result Category Recipients
2008 Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Nominated Best Film The Hurt Locker
Venice Film Festival SIGNIS Grand Prize Won Best Film
Venice Film Festival - Arca Cinemagiovani Award
(Arca Young Cinema Award) 		Won Best Film Venezia 65
Venice Film Festival Human Rights Film Network Award Won Best Film
Venice Film Festival Young Cinema Award - "La Navicella" Won Best Film
CAMERIMAGE PLUS Grand Prix - "Golden Frog" Nominated Best Cinematography Barry Ackroyd
2009 Independent Spirit Awards Nominated Best Actor Jeremy Renner
Nominated Best Supporting Actor Anthony Mackie
Seattle International Film Festival Won Best Director Kathryn Bigelow
Nantucket International Film Festival Won Best Screenplay Mark Boal

References

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  2. ^ a b The New York Times "Recovering Treasures From Below the Radar" February 20, 2009, By A. O. SCOTT
  3. ^ Kathryn Bigelow to Make The Hurt Locker
  4. ^ "A few choice triumphs keep the Lido afloat" The Guardian UK, by Nick James September 7 2008
  5. ^ "Summit takes 'Hurt Locker' in U.S." Variety, by Sharon Swart, Sept. 10, 2008
  6. ^ Rope of Silicon "Summit Updates: Release Date for The Hurt Locker, Synopsis for Eclipse and Clip from Knowing" by Brad Brevet, January 27, 2009
  7. ^ IMDB - Hollywood Chicago com “The Hurt Locker” Release date announced
  8. ^ "'Hurt Locker' to Summit and 'Che' to IFC: Festival pick-ups find their Oscar chances" Rope of Silicon, by Brad Brevet, September 10, 2008
  9. ^ "Toronto: "The Hurt Locker" sold to Summit Entertainment" LA Times blog, by Mark Olsen, Sep 10 2008
  10. ^ "Oscar Update" Rope of Silicon
  11. ^ a b Roger Ebert "The Hurt Locker" Review, Chicago Sun Times, July 8, 2009
  12. ^ a b c Roger Ebert's Journal "Open the Hurt Locker and Learn how Rough Men Come Hunting for Souls", July 10, 2009
  13. ^ a b Roger Ebert's Journal "The Gathering Dark Age" August 6, 2009
  14. ^ Bigelow returns for The Hurt Locker Staff Wednesday March 14, 2007 Guardian.co.uk
  15. ^ Film Independent.Org Director Series/Speakerbios
  16. ^ a b "Cast Announced for...'Hurt Locker'", July 17th 2007, Cinematical
  17. ^ Screenweek lists full cast incl. E. Lilly July 31, 2008
  18. ^ "The Hurt Locker, scheda del film e locandina Martedì", 15 Luglio 2008, cast listed
  19. ^ Jeremy Renner.org - The Hurt Locker "Renner headlines... with Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, and Evangeline Lily."
  20. ^ a b Variety "Film trio feel the Spirit" by Erin Maxwell, Michael Jones, December 2, 2008
  21. ^ "Hollywood Tackles Iraq" Karina Longworth, July 2007
  22. ^ "Hollywood tears up script to make anti-war films while conflicts rage", Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian UK, August 14, 2007
  23. ^ a b c Los Angeles Times "Hurt Locker: A soldier's-eye view of the Iraq war" By Mark Olsen, Special to The Times, September 8, 2008
  24. ^ DGA Magazine "Kinetic" By Jeffrey Ressner, DGA Quarterly, December 2008
  25. ^ Moving Pictures Magazine: The Hurt Locker Interviews, Jeremy Renner, Interview by Elliot V. Kotek
  26. ^ WENN news 20 July 2008 "Renner Caught Up In Film 'War'"
  27. ^ Voice of America (VOA), "'The Hurt Locker' Portays Drama, Tension of Real Life on Front Lines" by Alan Silverman, July 13, 2009
  28. ^ Variety, "Venice Film Fest Announces Slate" by Nick Vivarelli, July 29, 2008
  29. ^ Variety "Hurt Locker gives Venice a jolt" By Nick Vivarelli, Sept, 4, 2008
  30. ^ "HURT LOCKER wins Catholic Jury Prize at 65th Venice Film Festival"
  31. ^ Venice Film Festival Awards
  32. ^ "WWII Drama Among World Premieres..." by Etan Vlessing
  33. ^ "TIFF: Our Top 6 picks" Canwest News Service
  34. ^ Variety - Fall Fests Come into View, August 14, 2008
  35. ^ Entertainment Weekly "Toronto Film Festival highlights, including 'The Hurt Locker,' 'JVCD,' and '$9.99'" by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Sept. 11, 2008
  36. ^ "Peter Fonda Rides to Zurich: Actor to head jury at Swiss festival" Variety, by Ed Meza, Sept. 11, 2008
  37. ^ Indiewire iW NEWS "Nouveau Cinema Announces Full Program" by Peter Knegt
  38. ^ "The 37th Festival du Nouveau Cinéma Exciting films and extraordinary events for all audiences!" Sept. 24, 2008
  39. ^ Variety "Hurt Locker to Open Mar Festival", by Charles Newbery, October 30, 2008
  40. ^ Screen Daily, "The Hurt Locker Kicks off 23rd Mar del Plata Film Festival", by Diego Batlle, October 30, 2008
  41. ^ Official site Fifth Dubai International Film Festival
  42. ^ Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival by Sandy Mandelberger, Cineuropa.org
  43. ^ Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia, official web site
  44. ^ Göteborg Internation Film Festival official web site
  45. ^ Variety "Film Comment Selects Fest Set: Films by Boorman, Schrader, Bigelow to Screen", January 26th, 2009, by Sam Thielman
  46. ^ Variety "SXSW unveils lineup", by Tatiana Siegel, February 1st, 2009
  47. ^ Screendaily.com "Hurt Locker, Adventureland, Passing Strange join lineup at SXSW", February 2nd, 2009, by Jeremy Kay
  48. ^ a b Movie City News - Press Release "AFI Dallas 2009", March 28, 2009
  49. ^ a b Variety "Brothers Bloom to Open Dallas Fest: Hurt Locker Will also Screen at AFI event" by Dave McNary, March 4, 2009 Cite error: The named reference "VarAFI" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  50. ^ ANSA.it "Bologna's Human Rights Nights", March 27, 2009
  51. ^ Seattle International Film Festival web site "The Hurt Locker"
  52. ^ Philadelphia Film Festival web site "The Hurt Locker"
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  63. ^ "Locker: Shock, Awe, Brilliance", The Wall Street Journal film review, by Joe Morgenstern, June 29, 2009
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  70. ^ "Box Office: “Hurt Locker” Huge; “Cheri” Disappoints" by Peter Knegt, Indiewire, June 29, 2009
  71. ^ AP - 'Harry Potter' franchise shows no sign of slowing (list of top 20 films)
  72. ^ Variety.com - Weekend Box Office, July 10 - July 12, 2009
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  74. ^ HuffPost Box Office in Review by Scott Mendelson, July 19, 2009
  75. ^ The Los Angeles Times "The Hurt Locker defies the odds", By John Horn, August 5, 2009
  76. ^ Cameraimage Plus Grand Prix Golden Frog nominations official site
  77. ^ The Hollywood Reporter "Kathryn Bigelow tapped for ShoWest nod", March 26, 2009
  78. ^ Screen Daily "Nantucket honours The Cove, Dabis and Deller", June 22, 2009, by Wendy Mitchell
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