Zero Dark Thirty

Katheryn Bigelow’s ninth feature film, Zero Dark Thirty details the years long search for Osama bin Laden. It starts with chilling recordings of phone calls made during 9/11 and lets you know immediately what this film is about. There is never any doubt the film will end with the death of bin Laden. The film was released less than two years after his real life death.

Originally, Bigelow was going to be making a film about an unsuccessful effort to find bin Laden in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. However, days before filming was to begin, bin Laden was killed and Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal pivoted, scrapping almost all of their script. Personally, I’m shocked the film flowed as well as it did, knowing this.

The film very much takes a “hoo RA!” approach to the war, trying to force the audience to feel patriotic at times. It is very pro-military and assumes you are too, which I found odd considering the themes of some of Bigelow’s previous ventures into the topic of the military industrial complex.

I found the torture scenes to be a little too much (even though they were apparently “toned down” from what was shot on set). The action was very clinical – which was the point – but it lead to a poor taste in my mouth watching people being gunned down in their homes.

The film stars Jessica Chastain in the Oscar nominated lead role. I thought she did a good job with her character, as did almost all of the actors in this film. Everyone is very believable and makes believable choices.

Despite the story taking place over multiple years it flows very well, effortlessly skating through time like Tonya Harding on ice. It’s a historical non-fiction of the very recent past, without any breathing room. I wonder just how much would be different if they waited even five years to tell this story. Instead, they capitalized on the patriotism and vitriol of the nation, who showed up in droves and paying over 130 million to see how their most hated man was killed.

I enjoyed this movie, but I really question if it should exist – at least in the way it does.

Bigelow Rankings:

This was a fine movie. I’m sure there are those who love it, but I am not that person.

1. Point Break
2. Strange Days
3. Blue Steel
4. Zero Dark Thirty
5. The Hurt Locker
6. Near Dark
7. K-19: The Widowmaker
8. The Loveless
9. The Weight of Water

It’s crazy to me that we only have one Bigelow film left. Next week, Detroit.