Zero Dark Thirty

ZERO DARK THIRTY

Director : Kathryn Bigelow

Year : 2013

Genre : War/Drama

Rating : ****1/2

Telling the story of the greatest manhunts in history, 'Zero Dark Thirty' is not only of the best movies of the year, but it is also one of the most tension filled, nerve racking and shocking movies that I have seen in a good few years. Expertly acted, directed perfectly and telling one of the most important chapters in American military history, 'Zero Dark Thirty' is a film that should be watched by everyone. Generating a huge amount of controversy and splitting the entire movie going public in two, 'Zero Dark Thirty' is going to go down in history as one of the most important movies ever made. While too long and sometimes cumbersome, this is a monumental and extraordinary film.

Jessica Chastain plays Maya, a determined CIA agent who leads interrogations and the torture of Afghanistani's to discover, find and kill Osama Bin Laden, the head of Al - Qaeda who coordinated the September 11th attacks in which over 3,000 innocent Americans died. Spanning 10 years, 'Zero Dark Thirty' traces from the destruction of the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and United 93, all the way to the assassination of Bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Having directed cult films such as 'Near Dark', 'Point Break' and 'Strange Days', Kathryn Bigelow has become one of the most important American directors of our time. Released in 2009,  'The Hurt Locker' told the terrifying story of bomb defusers in Iraq and subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Picture. While 'The Hurt Locker' was a thrilling action film, 'Zero Dark Thirty' concentrates on the beaurocracy and the politics of the war on terror. Most of the movie is set in offices, embassy's and meeting rooms and in this sense, the film may prove to be a disappointment to those expecting a straight up action film in the same vein as 'The Hurt Locker'. While more talkative and slower than 'The Hurt Locker', there are scenes in 'Zero Dark Thirty' which are disturbing, shocking and thrilling.

Using mostly handheld cameras, Bigelow is able to create an air of urgency, panic and desperation; allowing us to relate to the characters and become fully engrossed in the story.

Jessica Chastain is very well cast as Maya, a headstrong, tough and merciless woman who has fought for her job and has set herself a seemingly impossible goal. I first noticed Chastain in 'Take Shelter' and from every other movie I have seen her in, whether it be 'Lawless' or 'Mama', 'The Debt' or 'The Help', she has continued to impress me. For her performance in 'Zero Dark Thirty', Chastain was nominated for an Academy Award, but unfortunately lost to Jennifer Lawrence. It is a real shame that only one person can win award such as an Oscar, because she deserves the highest possible accolades for her dynamic, heartfelt and passionate performance. The supporting cast which includes Jason Clarke, James Gandolfini, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong and Kyle Chandler are also brilliant and while each only appearing on screen for minutes, their characters seem integral to the story. Unfortunately, due to the magnitude of the film, character development really isn't considered and as a result, many of the supporting players seem dispensable and hurried through. It would have been nice to delve into their stories but then 'Zero Dark Thirty' would have been way over 3 hours long. For the most part, Jessica Chastain is the focal point.

The scenes that caused the most controversy on the films release are the torture scenes. While played completely realistically, they never seem to cross over the line of taste and acceptability. Bigelow is the master of knowing just how far to take something so while difficult to watch, these scenes never seem exploitative or pro-torture. The methods shown in 'Zero Dark Thirty' were used by Americans to gain information, whether we like it or not. Those who took offence at these scenes don't want to believe that these are the methods used, but if they weren't portrayed, Bigelow would be accused of glossing over these terrible acts which while cruel, worked. Kathryn Bigelow isn't pro - torture at all, she is only showing us the truth.

Despite being nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, 'Zero Dark Thirty' was pretty much snubbed at the 2013 Oscars, only winning one gong for Best Sound Editing. This is a shame because the film is so well done and definitely deserved more. However, last years best picture list included some of the best movies of the last 5 years, so 'Zero Dark Thirty' was up against tough competition. However, the film quadrupled it's budget at the box office and has confirmed that Kathryn Bigelow is the greatest female director of all time. She has created a thrilling film about the greatest victory in US military history without seeming to be xenophobic, patriotic or one sided. That in itself is a huge triumph; one that should be admired by filmmakers and fans alike. Yes, 'Zero Dark Thirty' is too long and could do with more character development. But for what we have, we couldn't ask for much more.