En tierra hostil

Viděno během Challenge Tour - Filmový lov: Úkol číslo 3 - Film, který režíruje žena. Jestli měli američtí akademici nepotlačitelnou blahosklonnou náladu taky jednou za sto let ocenit ženu-režisérku, tak bych osobně věděl o jiných adeptkách, než je bývalka Jamese Camerona. Ačkoli jsem se drtivou většinu stopáže ukrutně nudil, říkal jsem si, že to není tak příšerná propagandistická sračka jako Americký snajpr, a že dám aspoň jednu hvězdičku. Jedna určitá scéna mě ale zase tolik vytočila, že nemohu jinak, než hodnotit odpadem. Už mi zbývá jen Zero Dark Thirty, abych se jednou provždy zařekl, že se na americké válečné hlouposti nikdy dívat nebudu. (10.06.2015)

Tengo problemas con esta película. Deriva toda su atmósfera y suspenso del hecho banal de que una bomba puede (o no) explotar en cualquier momento. Sus personajes no son interesantes, los diálogos son horribles y el marco dramatúrgico casi no existe (es solo una serie de situaciones a las que tienen que sobrevivir los personajes que se enfrentan a la muerte). Por otro lado, estos mismos defectos lo hacen más realista y valioso como testimonio de los lugares dados. Quizás todo lo que necesitaba esta película era decidir si quería ser un thriller emocionante o un docudrama interesante. (20.12.2009)

Kathryn Bigelow understands the tough guy heart better than half of Hollywood's major league action directors. This film about a group of bomb squad technicians stuck in the heart of Iraq and struggling daily with the problem of "red or blue?" could not have been made in any other way than as a suspenseful thriller with a sultry atmosphere of hot streets and desert distances. This is perhaps the first cinematic contribution to the subject that doesn't moralize about the good/bad side of warfare or try to understand the souls of Islamic fighters. Instead, it gives us a glimpse into the lives of those who are left with nothing but cynicism and the belief that any proper course of action to disarm is one that doesn't make you scream. Scenes of pulling bombs out of the ground, searching for a detonator in a car, or saving a suicide bomber are all worthy of a discharge because they make your blood run cold. However, the director is ultimately undermined by the screenwriter's stiffer dialogue and the cheap escapade with little Beckham. Otherwise, it’s damn great! 4 ½. (04.02.2009)

It's a mystery to me how this brilliant flick didn’t get a wider audience response. What Stone's Platoon meant for an "alternative look" at the Vietnam conflict, Kathryn Bigelow's film means for the current U.S. Army mission in Iraq, and for its guys, who are there trembling for their lives and counting each day until the end of their tour of duty. The film doesn't moralise, it doesn't lecture, it just offers blood, sweat, frustration, the dust of Iraqi roads, fear of death and general paranoia, where even an Iraqi with a camera can be a potential terrorist. Not since Mendes's Jarhead has there been such a good military-themed film. (13.05.2009)

Full Metal Jacket for the new millennium – militant, cynical and predatory. A ballbusting documentary drama about a war-addicted people, about overgrown boys for whom normal life is far too normal. Bigelow loaded a cart full of naturalism, the hot Iraqi atmosphere and brilliant acting. This type of dynamically filmed war drama has been lacking since the days when Scott filmed Black Hawk Down. Like him, Bigelow leaves aside the moral assessment of the conflict and instead goes deep into the characters' psyche and adds a solid portion of irony (something that was missing in Black Hawk Down). There is great portion of raw fight scenes and sweaty dialogues of the average soldier for two solid hours. The Hurt Locker is not trying to get to the heart of the Iraq war, but rather simply capture the strange soul of a warrior. And in this respect, Kathryn Bigelow did a better and more responsive job than her male colleagues. In addition to balls, the film also has empathy... For me, The Hurt Locker is one of the American film highlights of 2009. Perhaps even the best. (08.02.2010)