Matthew Lambert/ Winonan

Since we are in the month of April, it’s time to shift our attention to a new director. Thus far we have only looked at men as directors.

But not this month.

This month I will be previewing films by Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow. First up, her war on terror masterpiece, “The Hurt Locker.”

Usually when war movies are referenced they are followed by classics like “Saving Private Ryan,” “Full Metal Jacket,” and “Apocalypse Now.” All of these movies are about wars that have already happened. “The Hurt Locker,” on the other hand, is not a movie about a World War or Vietnam. Instead, it’s a movie about the war on terror in the Middle East, a war we have been involved in since 2001.

The film follows Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner), Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Gerghty), an elite Army bomb-disposal unit that investigate improvised explosive devices (IEDs). James is brought into their unit when a bomb kills their former Sergeant. James, a troublemaker who loves to do things his own way even though it makes his unit nervous, goes out to different calls dealing with bombs. He is very accomplished, but his unit is nervous as they count down the days until they can return home.

I don’t want to give away too much information about the synopsis, because it is overly complex. There are many twists and turns in the plot. One thing this film does extremely well, better than most war movies, with the exception of “Saving Private Ryan,” is giving the soldiers personalities. Instead of just giving the character flat personalities and having them kill people, Bigelow shows their daily struggles and shows the real horrors of war. She shows how at any moment they could die, how they  count down every single day until they can go home, and also what happens when they get home, which could be the biggest struggle of all.

Another great aspect of this film is the guerilla style camera work used in the film. It’s almost like it’s shot with a hand camera, shaking and bouncing while it’s focused on the story that is unfolding in the sandy deserts of Baghdad. It’s shot this way to look like a documentary, or rather, to look like we are actually watching the events unfold in front of our very eyes. Mixing in slow motion takes of bombs exploding and rifle shells bouncing off the ground, this film combines its shaky film style with crisp editing and fluid transitions.

All in all, this is a film every war movie buff, or for that matter, film fan should see. Its plot is captivating, the editing is flawless, and the acting is superb especially Renner. The film also brings in terrific actors like Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, and Christian Camargo that really compliment the acting performance done by the main three characters. Watching “The Hurt Locker” may give you a new perspective on war movies and the United States’ involvement in war.