The Hurt Locker: A Marine’s Perspective

bill bodkin, father of the co-publisher of this blog, is a former marine … this is his take on the film The Hurt Locker …


I just finished watching one of the most intense and realistic movies I have ever seen. It was called The Hurt Locker. If this movie doesn’t sweep the Oscars, then there is even more wrong with our country then we know. I have never heard of or if I did, I never paid attention to, the actors that were in this movie, except for Ralph Fiennes. This was like watching the Iraq conflict through the lens of camera man in actual combat. To digress for a moment from the actors, just watching the village/city people flying kites or playing soccer on block over from a gun battle is almost too unbelievable. Watching people watching the fire fights from their doorway or windows or from the roof tops like they were watching television is incredulous.

This movie, which stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, is a must-see.

Many of you may have seen this movie, but for those that didn’t, I’ll give you a brief summary, and then for all of you a link to a United States Marine Corps site which validates the hardships, the dangers and the valor of our military.

The movie portrays the courage and the skill of our troops who perform the most dangerous of tasks: disarming bomb in the midst of a war zone. The task is even more complicated by the fact that they must find them and disarm them when under fire or while anticipating enemy fire and/or remote detonation.

Sergeant James (Renner) is new to the team replacing their last leader who they trusted and respected. James is an unknown quantity, and they don’t know what to expect. They find out real fast that they better expect the unexpected because he has his own way of doing things. James and Sgt. Sanborn (Mackie), and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Geraghty), are the bomb squad for Bravo Company. James is the wild man, Sanford is a strictly-by-the-books-man and Eldridge believes the only reason he is there is to die, yet he’s afraid to die. This unit not only has to disarm the bombs, but they must do it in such a way as to endanger no one. In other words, they can’t stand off at a distance and shoot at the suspected bomb in areas where there are civilians and military.

I unfortunately don’t have the gift it takes to describe the tension and drama of this movie, all I can tell you is I was sitting on the edge of my seat for almost the entire movie.

As I mentioned before, if you saw the movie and if you doubted any part of it, follow this link and it will show you a real time United States Marine Corps combat experience in Iraq.

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

Seeing is believing. If you read this and haven’t seen the movie but checked out the link, you must see the movie.