Was anti-war or simply another propaganda piece? Kathryn Bigelow’s begins with a telling quote: “The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.” Most of the words, attributed to anti-war journalist Chris Hedges, fade away, leaving only the phrase “war is a drug.” While Bigelow’s character study certainly revealed the facing American during the Iraq War, 20 years later, its potent vision of the meaninglessness of war stands tall even as its status as an anti-war statement falls short.
Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal take a cogent path toward their anti-war goals. Their film zooms in on an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team whose sole job is to dismantle the tools of war. Within that group, they find an unlikely protagonist: the risky and rash Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner).
He has arrived to replace Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson (Guy Pearce), who recently perished while attempting to dismantle a roadside bomb. James is an adrenaline junkie. Having dismantled over 800 explosive devices, he has long put the idea of dying out of his head.
His teammates, on the other hand, are still reeling from the death of their friend, and just want to finish their rotation and go home. Before long, James’ cavalier style antagonizes them. The by-the-book Sergeant J.
T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) sees James as a redneck hick trying to undermine him. Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) is terrified James will get him killed.
Each o.