The Hurt Locker
Short description
The Hurt Locker follows an elite U.S. Army bomb disposal team working in Iraq during the war. After the unit's leader, Sergeant Matt Thompson, is killed on a mission, Staff Sergeant William James takes charge of the team. James has defused a great many devices, but his reckless, unorthodox methods put him at odds with his teammates, Sergeant JT Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge, who must decide how much risk they are willing to accept as the unit nears the end of its tour.
Kathryn Bigelow directed the film, working from a screenplay by Mark Boal; both also produced it alongside Greg Shapiro. It was Bigelow's first feature after K-19: The Widowmaker and the sixth film she directed. Jeremy Renner plays James, with Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty as the soldiers serving under him, and Guy Pearce and David Morse in supporting roles.
Made on a budget of about 15 million dollars, the film took roughly 49 million dollars worldwide, a strong return relative to its cost. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.5 from around 495,000 votes, and on TMDB a rating of 7.2 from more than 6,000 votes. A critics' rating of 8.7 from 288 reviews places it noticeably above those audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Filming took place in Amman.
- Part of the film was shot during the Muslim month of Ramadan. Non-Muslim members of the film crew lived and ate in tents and special enclosed canopies with windows covered with carpets (out of respect for traditions and in accordance with Jordanian law). Smoking, eating, and drinking in public places during Ramadan are prohibited in Jordan, as well as in many Middle Eastern countries, and those who violate the law can be imprisoned.
- Amateur 16mm cameras were used in the filming to give the film an additional documentary effect. Nearly 200 hours of footage was shot with these cameras.
- The character of Brian Geraghty is Specialist Eldridge. A Specialist (SPC) is a senior enlisted rank in the US Army, equivalent to a corporal, but unlike corporals, Specialists are not considered part of the non-commissioned officer corps.
- As part of preparation for the project, screenwriter Mark Boal spent two weeks in Iraq with a sapper platoon in 2004, including participating in actual operations.
- Part of the film was shot during Ramadan. Non-Muslim members of the film crew lived and ate in tents and special enclosed canopies with windows draped with carpets.
- The first week of filming (in Jordan in the summer) was very hot. It was so hot that the cinematographer, Barry Ackroyd, suffered heatstroke.
- "Hurt locker" in American EOD slang refers to the mythical "box of pain" that sappers who have been blown up by a mine end up in, analogous to the "Dead Man's Chest" for sailors. It can also simply be called a dangerous or difficult situation. Also in the middle of the film, Sergeant James collects personal items that caused him pain – from IED components to a wedding ring – into a plastic "box of pain."
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
