The Hurt Locker was praised by critics and cinema enthusiasts, yet the 2009 war drama was condemned as controversial by veterans. Katheryn Bigelow’s film about a U.S. bomb disposal team in the Iraq War received a 97% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earned six Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 2009. The exploration of soldiers’ psyches and the nerve-wracking tension of defusing bombs seemed like a brutal yet honest portrayal of war. The Hurt Locker may have seemed realistic to audiences, but it received a mixed response from war veterans, the very group it was depicting.
The Hurt Locker primarily follows Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) as he takes over command of a bomb disposal team, yet James’ actions are reckless and put the rest of his team in danger. Katheryn Bigelow became the first woman to receive an Academy Award for Best Director, and Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie became household names due to the film’s success. The combination of handheld camerawork and tight zoom shots provided a documentary aesthetic to The Hurt Locker and added to the film’s realism. Yet veterans had concerns about The Hurt Locker’s war depiction that eventually led to a lawsuit.
The Hurt Locker Was Criticized For Its Depiction Of Wartime Conditions & Combat
In 2009, The Hurt Locker was one of the first films to depict the Iraq War. While the film had no overt opinion about the war, many veterans criticized the film for its unrealistic depiction of wartime conditions. For example, the bomb-defusing scenes were highly inaccurate due to the rare use of having a person defuse a bomb with wire cutters. The military would instead commonly use advanced robot technology and aim for a bomb’s main wire. The portrayal of a bomb expert using wire cutters to cut multiple bomb wires was described by one military technician as "similar to having a firefighter go into a building with a squirt bottle."
Staff Sergeant James’ demeanor in the movie was also condemned as a negative and false depiction of U.S. soldiers. Renner’s James is described as an adrenaline addict who often acts rogue throughout the film. Veterans felt James’ behavior and lack of protective gear were disrespectful to bomb disposal teams, as any decision made would be approved and supervised by tens of other soldiers at the scene. One particularly inaccurate scene is when James sneaks off base to get revenge by beating up locals. James’ actions would have led to his discharge, and his character perpetuates the "John Wayne cowboy" stereotype of celebrating rebel, gun-toting Americans.
How A Lawsuit Led to More Controversy For The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker led to a lawsuit from Master Sgt. Jeffrey S. Sarver, who claimed the story was based on an article about his life. Sarver argued that The Hurt Locker was based on his true story but that he did not receive any compensation, and the treatment of James' character ultimately defamed Sarver. While Sarver claimed the film was based on his personal story, writer Mark Boal defended the film by explaining The Hurt Locker was based on multiple s and experiences in the Iraq War. The Hurt Locker producers eventually won their case in court, but the film continued to receive negative press and attention from war veterans.
While The Hurt Locker was initially praised for its realism, veterans argue the film is frustratingly far from accurate. As one of the first films to depict the Iraq War, it became many viewers’ first examination of the war and will contribute to being part of the war’s legacy for future audiences. The movie's sensationalism now lists as an example of an unrealistic modern war movie. Yet some veterans and film producers acknowledge that, just like any war movie, The Hurt Locker is a drama, not a documentary.
