A question about "The Hurt Locker"

[Ishamel]

As soon as I saw Hurt Locker I thought, 'oh, so it's a shit Jarhead.'
Someone on this thread apparently didn't like Jarhead, but having read the book it was based on and knowing that its 'gritty, dramatic true-to-life modern war story' is actually true to life, rather than scripted by Hollywood, as well as having an incredible score - well, make your own minds up.

 

[solidstatemind]

I shall quote from elsewhere.

Thanks for that: Now that I've thought about it for a while, you succinctly summed up my hesitations about Hurt Locker by assembling what others noted.

The Oscar certainly seems to me to be an award simply for working with a controversial subject now.

I'm gonna have to say that Hurt Locker is- far and away- the biggest farce of a Best Picture winner since... well, Shakespeare in Love. (Actually, it should probably go back farther, because that was actually a decent film; I just hate the sniveling pile of drool that is Joseph Fiennes.)

 

[solidstatemind]

Why is everyone so biased against this film. It's like this forum have become anti all popular things. Everywhere on these forums I see new threads about something popular and how much it sucks. Yes I know many of them do actually suck, but sometimes I think many of you just jump on the wagon and bash anything because a majority likes it.

Just to clarify: I don't recall saying it was a bad movie, just that I did not understand what, exactly, justified all the praise (like 5 Oscars, and I have seen several Escapists lauding it on these forums) it was receiving.

Look, I'm not saying I turned it off-- I didn't. I don't regret 'losing' the two hours I spent watching it. I was reasonably entertained. I'm just saying that what I saw didn't seem to me to deserve the amount of praise that was being heaped on it, particularly not next to what else was out there <COUGH-District9-COUGH> that were both inventive, different, and, well, damn good.

I apologize if I implied differently.

 

[Kinguendo]

I thought it was fine and understood why Americans liked it... however once I saw the part with the British chaps I just thought "No, fuck you. You arent super soldiers, fuck this I am leaving." because the British sniper that went up there got killed really fast then the Americans go up to the exact same sniper rifle and lay down in the exact same place and manage to stay there for fucking ages without being killed.

The exact same place! For much MUCH longer! All it did was reinforce that bloody stereotype that American soldiers are the best on the planet and always do the best and save everyone else.

 

[Julianking93]

Because, to Americans, it hits home.

That, sir, deserves an /thread

Seriously, the only reason it's popular and won the Academy over is because it deals with something going on right now.

Pretty much every Oscar winning movie typically wins because its subject matter deals with a touchy or sensitive topic of the time.

That and the Academy has yet to award anything to a female film maker so they probably felt it was time to do so.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

The Wire (best show that's ever graced television).

You're joking right? One word: Firefly.

Time to branch out from standard issue geek culture. The Wire is in another league entirely.

Skillful edit there. Just to defuse this situation before it gets out of hand I shall say one word: subjective.

Have to account for thin skin, yes?

There comes a point, in the land of subjectivity, where overwhelming favor simply paints a victor. Flying in the face of this tends to unravel the value of human communication. I can't hold a meaningful conversation with someone who refuses to admit the objective value of something he doesn't particularly care to watch, and I firmly believe this to be the only circumstance that enables a person to elevate Firefly above The Wire.

Firefly is subjectively superior to The Wire in the same way that a clinically insane individual's thought patterns are subjectively superior to those of a perfectly functional person. That's not to say Firefly fans are clinically insane - at least I hope we aren't. It does mean that carelessly tossing about the "subjective" defense is a complete non-starter. There are times where it is appropriate, but I don't think this is one of those times.

More people need to watch The Wire.

 

[Sephychu]

The oscars are rigged.

Not quite sure what you mean by this.
The Oscars is just a group of people who decide which films from the year they really liked. Just so happens that their opinions are held in very high regard. How can you rig a small group of people choosing films?

 

[Orwellian37]

I absolutely agree with you that it didn't deserve the Oscars it got. It was just a generally sub-par movie.Of course Inglorious Basterds, Up, A Serious Man, and District 9 were better. But that's not why I hated the film.

A good friend of mine is in the EOD/IED business in Iraq right now, and he's lost two friends in his squads so far. Hurt Locker just made the job seem so unrealistically easy and much less tense based on his descriptions.

 

[Skratt]

It was a good movie, but it wasn't as good as everyone says it is. I like war movies and don't think I could ever get tired of them.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

The Wire (best show that's ever graced television).

You're joking right? One word: Firefly.

Time to branch out from standard issue geek culture. The Wire is in another league entirely.

Skillful edit there. Just to defuse this situation before it gets out of hand I shall say one word: subjective.

Have to account for thin skin, yes?

There comes a point, in the land of subjectivity, where overwhelming favor simply paints a victor. Flying in the face of this tends to unravel the value of human communication. I can't hold a meaningful conversation with someone who refuses to admit the objective value of something he doesn't particularly care to watch, and I firmly believe this to be the only circumstance that enables a person to elevate Firefly above The Wire.

Firefly is subjectively superior to The Wire in the same way that a clinically insane individual's thought patterns are subjectively superior to those of a perfectly functional person. That's not to say Firefly fans are clinically insane - at least I hope we aren't. It does mean that carelessly tossing about the "subjective" defense is a complete non-starter. There are times where it is appropriate, but I don't think this is one of those times.

More people need to watch The Wire.

The show may very well be objectively better than Firefly, but if I enjoyed Firefly more, that makes it a better show for me (opinions, gotta love 'em).

 

[Thunderhorse31]

to give it Best Picture puts it up there with Saving Private Ryan

Actually, it puts it above Saving Private Ryan since that movie didn't get get a 'Best Picture' oscar. Now, for extra rage points, find out which movie did and you'll realise why oscars mean nothing nowadays.

Dammit, ninja'd. I too was going to point this out, since Shakespeare in Love beat SPR for Best Picture that year.

So, do I earn rage points, or merely distribute them?

 

[etherlance]

I didn't quite like it either.
Mind you I am pretty sick of all these movies where it somehow always comes down to America saving the entire planet over and over again. I mean there are a whole bunch of other countries.

when will someone make a film where Britain or France save the world?
maybe Africa, that would be cool.
don't get me wrong I used to be a USA hating person until I equaled out my level of judgement on the world as a whole, now I just get tired of anyone considering themselves above all others .

but as for the "Hurt locker" I just couldn't really get into this one, it just seemed boring after the first forty minutes, same with "Jarhead".

 

[Kortney]

I laughed aloud about how all the arabs were portrayed as dirty untrustworthy evil people, always scheming against the Americans. It was great.

Flat out wrong. They weren't portrayed like this at all. The main character has compassion towards them. Beckham and the family that he stumbles into are portrayed in a very positive light. The only Iraqis that are viewed negatively are the ones that are making IEDs and stuffing humans with bombs - something that actually happens and is carried out by scumbags.

 

[Thedayrecker]

I found it rather average too (although I'm glad Avatar didn't win best picture)

 

[IBlackKiteI]

*edit* And best movie last year? "Moon".

^ Yes! Yes! Someone give this man a medal!

OT: I really liked Hurt Locker mainly because it is so bizarre, I thought it was great all things considered.

We didnt really hear of it that much in Australia, probably because of our seemingly limited involvement over there compared to the Americans, but I think it is overrated considering it won those awards.

I do think it is better than Inglorious Basterds, which was quite good, but it has nothing on Saving Private Ryan.....wait NOTHING has anything on Saving Private Ryan.

 

[IBlackKiteI]

I thought it was fine and understood why Americans liked it... however once I saw the part with the British chaps I just thought "No, fuck you. You arent super soldiers, fuck this I am leaving." because the British sniper that went up there got killed really fast then the Americans go up to the exact same sniper rifle and lay down in the exact same place and manage to stay there for fucking ages without being killed.

The exact same place! For much MUCH longer! All it did was reinforce that bloody stereotype that American soldiers are the best on the planet and always do the best and save everyone else.

Nitpicking much?

Im not American, I didnt see the scene as all that pro-American or anything.

Also, the British are shown as badass guys wearing raggedy-ass clothing who managed to kidnap this guy, and even if the movie trys to show Americans superior throughout the film its counted by them being gung-ho self centred class-A wankers.

 

[Kinguendo]

I thought it was fine and understood why Americans liked it... however once I saw the part with the British chaps I just thought "No, fuck you. You arent super soldiers, fuck this I am leaving." because the British sniper that went up there got killed really fast then the Americans go up to the exact same sniper rifle and lay down in the exact same place and manage to stay there for fucking ages without being killed.

The exact same place! For much MUCH longer! All it did was reinforce that bloody stereotype that American soldiers are the best on the planet and always do the best and save everyone else.

Nitpicking much?

Im not American, I didnt see the scene as all that pro-American or anything.

Also, the British are shown as badass guys wearing raggedy-ass clothing who managed to kidnap this guy, and even if the movie trys to show Americans superior throughout the film its counted by them being gung-ho self centred class-A wankers.

No it doesnt and no it doesnt. What you described is most certainly not badass, unless you think homeless people who kidnap other people are badass. And no, they showed ONE American guy being an ass but it showed him have a decent(ish) side when he thought that kid had been killed.

 

[Macheteswordgun]

Never saw it but from what i hear its theme song is this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhnUgAaea4M