Essay Example on Soldiers' Sacrifices for Patriotism: Exploring War and Violence in Iraq

The central theme of this can be identified as the patriotism where soldiers die for their country. This theme is clearly illustrated in the sacrifices made by the soldiers in leaving their families to go and fight for their country in a different state. Other minor themes may include violence and war. Also, the setting of the film in Iraq is a clear explanation of the primary topic, as Iraq is commonly known as a war-torn country. The various techniques have been used to further enhance the ideas in this movie in such a way that it reflects on the celebrated life of a soldier while still identifying war as a drug that all soldiers need to take at all times in their lives to survive. Also, Bungalow also depicts the central theme by displaying the paralyzing lives of the soldiers in war.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The opening sequence of The Hurt Locker is very untraditional. The beginning of the film features no credits but contains medias res. The beginning of the film jumps right into the action of the characters, and the story is told in linear form and includes flashbacks. The sequence begins when Eldridge notices suspicious activity coming from a butcher shop nearby. He yells and tries to get an aim on the butcher man. The scene ends with the butcher man dialling a cell phone that sets off a bomb, which kills Thompson. Even though the main character (Will) is not in the opening sequence, this scene plays an essential part in the overall movie. The death of Thompson at the end of this scene serves as foreshadowing as well as a reminder that the war is a dangerous situation that results in death. The scene also helps to shape the meaning of the whole movie as the techniques provide a more profound sense of the picture.

The images are depicted in a documentary style in the film. This depiction is rarely used in narrative cinema. However, this depiction is useful in providing a firsthand experience of the war. The film incorporates a series of shaky-style camera report, quick focus change shots, and shots that moves up and down. The camera also zooms in and out frequently. These shots and reporting style achieve their goal by make the film seem like a material that was shot by a reporter who was in the war zone.

The documentary style, as well as the setting of the film, makes the movie as realistic as possible. These techniques help to illustrate the "real face" of the war that soldiers fight. The film also incorporated realistic costumes as part of mise-en-scene that helped to achieve the desired goal further. This practical sense of the movie was part of Bigelow's plan to create a film that focused on on-the-ground realism.

The film also uses point of view shots to help the viewers see what the characters are seeing. For instance, a point-of-view shot is used when Eldridge is looking through his gun. The point-of-view shot is essential for placing the viewer squarely in the mindset of the soldier who was about to shoot another person. Moreover, the film also includes different angles as well as shots that are almost similar to point-of-view shots to show actions from different perspectives. For instance, various angle shots are used to portray the civilians who were observing the soldiers. These angles and shots further help the viewers to experience the reality of the film. The multiple focal lengths combined with a muscular editorial style helps to provide a microcosm/macrocosm perspective that further immerses the viewer since reality is experienced through observing the microcosm and macrocosm simultaneously.

The movie also speeds up the action of the characters to build up tension. In the film, the shots eventually become fast-paced as a form of expressing quick intensity and thoughts. Various close-up shots that mostly display the eyes of the protagonists thus, highlighting the emotional effect. The speed eventually slows down and becomes slow-motion. The slow-motion technique used by the filmmakers further emphasizes the tremendous force of the explosion as well as visualizing the shock wave which made the audience "feel" something that cannot be shown on a film. The subsequent shots from different angles of Thomson falling add to the drama of the film. The editing of the sequence which includes quick random cuts helps to increase the tension as they reflect the chaos of the situation. The fast-paced editing of the shots indicates that the protagonists have to react fast which is in contrast to the slow-motion shots.

The element of sound applied in this film plays an essential role in the movie. The scene utilizes non-diegetic, low and eerie music that helps to create a dangerous atmosphere of the film. Moreover, diegetic sounds, that is, dialogue, that is accompanied by the environment sounds contribute to the credibility of the film. The protagonists talk and even joke casually and calmly. However, the increase in tension turns the civil dialogue into yelling and eventually creates an overlap of sounds which further creates chaos and confusion among the viewers. In the film, the viewer can also identify the heavy breathing of Thomson as he runs away from the bomb thus depicting his struggle for life.

The ending of the film, on the other hand, focuses on the main character Will who is contemplating returning to the war after witnessing the severity of the war. This scene is illustrated when James recalls his time in the war while he is with his little son. The scene presents a form of irony in such a way that James misses being in the war and not being with his girlfriend and son. The view also shows James as an addict to war. In typical situations, human beings are supposed to prefer peaceful engagements with each other and not straining locations in war. James finally makes a decision and goes back to the battlefield thus portraying his addiction to the war. This ending can be identified as a grim punchline that confirms that war is a drug even though the concept is not very clear at the beginning of the film.

The main character James is contrasted between his life back in America and his time in Iraq. This contrast is made using the supermarket scene. The lighting in the supermarket scene significantly differs the view where James had to rescue Eldridge. The lighting used when saving Eldridge was darker as compared to the lighter lighting in the supermarket. The dimmer lighting when saving Eldridge helps the director to control lighting to further guide the attention of the audience to more critical aspects of the shot. The illumination in the rescue scene is in contrast to that of the supermarket scene where everything was lighter, and the audience was free to focus on all elements of the shot.

Conclusion

In summary, even though the scene at the beginning of the film does not feature the main protagonist, it plays an essential part in the movie. The emphasis of the techniques as well as the emotional death at the beginning of the film serves as foreshadowing as well as a reminder that the war is a dangerous activity. Furthermore, the application of the techniques helps to create a different yet intense depiction of the war. The ending of the film focuses on the main protagonist James who is torn between staying at home with his girlfriend and son and returning to the war in Iraq. The contemplation serves as a form of irony since the majority of the people prefer staying in peaceful situations and not war-torn environments. This contemplation also depicts the thought that Will is addicted to the war since he chooses to go back to the battle where he faces numerous risks. Some of these risks such as death are identified in the opening sequences as Thomson died while trying to disarm a bomb. However, the film also poses a concept that war can be defined as a medication or a cognitive enhancer for a particular type of highly useful misfits. Therefore, the opening sequence provides elements as well as styles that elevate the meaning of the rest of the movie. The closing sequence, on the other hand, is essential in depicting the patriotism of soldiers such as James who choose to go back to war and defend their country despite the risks they may be facing.