ScreenCrave.com » Kathryn Bigelow

Who Should Replace Gary Ross As Director Of ‘Catching Fire’?

Adam Spunberg — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:30:29 +0000

The loss of Gary Ross as a director of The Hunger Games sequels has been absolutely devastating for devoted fans of burgeoning franchise. As a rabid fan myself (and as a friend of many other rabid fans), I can’t even begin to tell you how crestfallen we are. Ross was truly one of us – an ardent admirer of the series who happened to also don a director’s cap. His respect for the source material was well known, which is why many supporters trusted him with Suzanne Collins’ words. Now, we’re all left scratching our heads and anxious about what’s to come.

Still, the beat must go on, and I have to put my optimism and faith in the people at Lionsgate. They did it right the first time; they can do it right again. Having continuity through the entire film franchise would have been the best-case scenario, but tributes can’t be choosers. And there are plenty of directors who might just be able to fill Gary Ross’s shoes, while maybe adding a few sprinkles of their own magic. Here is my list of people who could realistically take over (otherwise Martin Scorsese would be on here):

1. Steven Soderbergh

Soderbergh is the obvious best choice because his fingerprints are all over the franchise already. Brought in as a Second Unit Director on the first film, he commandeered one of the finer scenes in the picture: the rebellion sequence in District 11. It was a hailed by critics and fans as a flourishing addition, and his talent as a director was on full display.

Soderbergh’s credentials are also impressive. Not only is he close with Ross, but his accomplishments are considerably superior. Director of Erin Brockovich, Traffic, Ocean’s Eleven, and Contagion, he clearly has the chops. The only concerns about him are his rumored casting preferences (Alex Pettyfer for Finnick? No thanks!) The other problem is – and this will be a common theme – he is allegedly too busy to step in on such short notice.

2. Kathryn Bigelow

The former wife of James Cameron is a hot commodity these days after winning the Oscar for Directing with Iraq-war sensation The Hurt Locker. As the first and only woman to snag the award, it puts her in extremely elite company, and what better way to further the message of female empowerment than to put Katniss Everdeen in her hands? With The Hurt Locker, Bigelow demonstrated her ability to tackle violence and war, which she could display in spades during Catching Fire sequences.

It’s unclear whether she would be interested, but Lionsgate should certainly extend some overtures. One big problem: She’s currently working on Zero Dark Thirty, a film about the Navy Seals who tracked down Osama bin Laden. Timing could be impossible.

3. Ang Lee

Known for lauded films like Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, perhaps my favorite rendition of his was actually Sense and Sensibility, where he so deftly tackled Jane Austen’s nuanced text. That ability to adapt from novel to screen could serve him extremely well here with Catching Fire. Throughout his career, Lee has proven his versatility – the kind of versatility needed for the District 12 scenes, coupled with the violence in the Arena. Imagine the mountains of Brokeback juxtaposed with the combat of Tiger. It does seem like a great fit.

However, critics might question his tendency for slow pacing. After all, his target market is made up of mostly young adults, who may not have the patience for his scenic deliberation and andante tempo. To be successful, he would have to adopt a more electric style. I think he can do it.

4. Brad Bird

I’ve been throwing Bird’s name out anywhere and everywhere, because so far his track record has been simply phenomenal. The architect behind two Pixar gems (the exhilarating The Incredibles and the culturally resplendent Ratatouille), Bird also showed his mastery over the live action technique with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, a herculean effort that resurrected what appeared to be a dormant franchise. So far, he has earned platitudes from every sector, for both a steady hand in the director’s chair and an intelligent appreciation for artistry.

My concerns are twofold: 1) The lack of experience, but more importantly, 2) Would he respect Collins’ source material enough? The fact that there’s a question mark on the latter makes me hesitant to throw my whole heart behind him. All of his previous efforts have been self-constructed – would he do right by Collins and the fan base? I think he would, but I don’t have proof, and in these harrowing times, reassurance is needed.

5. Duncan Jones

Now here’s a candidate I could realistically see taking over. Jones is a hot name in fan circles and for good reason: his first two flicks have been categorical successes (Moon and Source Code). In both cases, he managed to feature science fiction topics and make them stimulating (in the case of Moon, with basically one character). Source Code was hardly on the silver screen radar, but it proved to be a frenetic, down-to-the-wire picture – just the kind of suspense-building Catching Fire could use.

The cons? He’s still relatively unproven, and to pick him might be a serious gamble. Then again, it’s a gamble that could pay off with huge dividends, and he might just appreciate the opportunity more than the others above. His availability is also a major plus, but the question of the hour: Is he as much of a Hunger Games fan as Ross, and could he work directly with Collins?

6. Joe Wright

Wright has quite the accomplished record, dazzling viewers (including me) with Pride and Prejudice in 2005, and going on to garner tremendous acclaim for Atonement. He also integrated music and style extraordinarily in Hanna, which has caused some to recommend him for Catching Fire (since it’s a similar genre).

I absolutely loved what he did with Pride and Prejudice, but I have some serious holdups. Would he be willing to direct Catching Fire the way the fans want? I’d expect him to bring his own unique vision, which could be spectacular, but it also could stray far too much from the basic story. While that might delight ambivalent filmgoers and reviewers, the franchise has an obligation to appease Collins and her fans. This is dangerous territory, but it could also turn out magnificently.

7. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

What can you say about a director who spearheaded one of the greatest movies of our time (The Lives of Others) and then an awards-show punchline (The Tourist)? I’m inclined to give German pioneer von Donnersmarck the benefit of the doubt, especially since The Tourist’s flaws rest less with the directing and more with the laughable plot. These are highly skilled hands, and von Donnersmarck’s attention to detail seems right up Ross’s alley.

Of course, it would be a huge risk to take on a foreign director who may not even have familiarity with the series. He makes my list, however, because of his incredible talent and the possibility that he could bring The Hunger Games franchise to a new level of grandeur.

8. Debra Granik

Granik is really known for one great movie: Winter’s Bone. Coincidence that it’s the film that put Jennifer Lawrence on the map and drew the notice of Gary Ross (who confidently cast her as Katniss)? Clearly, the two of them work wonderfully together, and the setting in Winter’s Bone has some striking similarities to The Hunger Games’ District 12. This could be a match made in heaven.

If you thought any of the previous suggestions were unproven, however, Granik takes the cake. She has never worked on something in the limelight like this, and one wonders if her inexperience with action sequences could stunt the series. It’s definitely a risk, but it could be one worth taking in light of her rapport with Lawrence. (And let’s face it – this movie hinges more than anything on Katniss.)

9. Tom Hooper

Now here’s a case of a scorching hot director who has never attempted a picture quite like Catching Fire. He’s so low profile, in fact, that most people probably have never heard of him – even though he’s just one year removed from winning an Oscar for The King’s Speech. Hooper would be a peculiar choice, but he has performed beyond the call in every project he’s ever directed. This includes a string of exceptional miniseries: Daniel Daronda, Love in a Cold Climate, Elizabeth, and John Adams were all extremely well received.

Hooper is not my top choice for obvious reasons, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he had it in him to dazzle everyone. You could certainly do a lot worse, and you may not be able to do better.

10. Cary Fukunaga

This is my dark horse selection. I doubt he’s on anyone’s short list, but maybe he should be. Fukunaga did a stellar job directing two recent films: Jane Eyre and Sin Nombre. With Jane Eyre, Fukunaga showed incredible loyalty to Charlotte Bronte’s text, more so than in any previous adaptation. That’s the same kind of devotion Hunger Games fans would love to see in Catching Fire.

This would be a much greater challenge for him in his young career, but it could also be a springboard into fame and recognition. He probably wouldn’t assuage everyone’s fears right off the bat, but in time, he might just be the right ingredient to continue Ross’s superlative vision.

Alternates:

Ron Howard, Robert Redford – Both would be what I would define as “safe” picks. In other words, you could count on them to stay true to the story, but they probably wouldn’t connect with the core fan base the way some of the others could. Redford especially is a lot more capable than people realize, directing Quiz Show with profound intelligence and grace.

Absolutely Nots:

Alfonso Cuaron – His name is being floated out there far too often for my tastes. Ask any fervent Harry Potter fan and he/she will tell you what a nightmare Prisoner of Azkaban was. Cuaron is an OUTSTANDING director, but he makes all his films far more about his own artistic interpretation than the material he’s working with. Cuaron would be a dream director for non-fans and an apocalypse for lovers of the books. STAY AWAY!
Michael Bay – Does this even need an explanation? Sure, he would be great at having things blow up in the Cornucopia, but you may as well forget about depth and acting. That he is being mentioned at all is frightening.
Catherine Hardwicke – If there is one thing The Hunger Games franchise should unequivocally avoid, it’s having ANYTHING to do with Twilight. Under Ross’s fine direction, The Hunger Games has come out of the gate drawing little comparison to the much maligned Twilight series, and keeping away from directors like Hardwicke would ensure that continues. Plus, if Lionsgate were even to consider Hardwicke (she is among the rumored choices), the fans might just burn down the studio. We don’t need a literal case of “catching fire” before Catching Fire hits pre-production.

Who do you think should replace Gary Ross on Catching Fire?

Oscar Winner 2010: Best Director – Kathryn Bigelow

Laura Aguirre — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:56:55 +0000

The winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Director goes to Kathryn Bigelow. She’s made history as the first female to win the Best Director Oscar. She received a standing ovation and an intro by Barbra Streisand who said, “the time has come.” Bigelow described her win as the moment of a lifetime. She also dedicated her award to the women and men in the military who risk their lives on a daily basis around the world.

Check out who she bear out for the Best Director Award…

The nominees for Best Director were:

James Cameron – Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels – Precious
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air

James Cameron – Avatar - Avatar centers on an ex-Marine who submerges himself into the culture of an alien race. With the help of his Avatar body, he is able to adapt to his new environment even though he’s still present in his human mind. Jake Sully is the lead character as played by Sam Worthington, while Zoe Saldana is featured as his love interest, Neyteri.

Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker - An intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James (Jeremy Renner), takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. James behaves as if he’s indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James’ true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds - Set during WWII in Nazi-occupied France, where a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are sent in to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by killing Nazis in as many obscene ways as possible.

Lee Daniels – Precious - (Based on the novel Push by Sapphire) Precious is set in Harlem. The story centers around an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child, who is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.

Jason Reitman – Up in the Air - The story centers on a corporate downsizing expert (George Clooney) who travels all over the US in pursuit of more opportunities to fire people. As he approaches the 10-million frequent flyer miles milestone and meets the frequent-flying woman of his dreams (Vera Farmiga), his cherished lifestyle is threatened as his company wants to move him to headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.

Further Reading:

The Hurt Locker Causes a Military Stir

Mali Elfman — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:50:59 +0000

With the Oscars right around the corner and The Hurt Locker finally getting the attention is deserves, someone has to complain about it. The film has already received praise from critics and the military personal alike. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has commented on the film and called it both “authentic” and “very compelling.” Purple Heart winner, Drew Sloan, recently sat with the cast and crew on a panel to speak about the film.

Suddenly it’s being said that the film-makers may have gone a little too far…

…the government says it pulled its “Hurt Locker” production assistance at the last minute in 2007, saying that the film’s makers were shooting scenes that weren’t in the screenplay submitted to the Defense Department, including a sequence that the government believed portrayed troops unflatteringly. The film’s producers dispute elements of the account.

The problem isn’t in the facts, but in the personality of the main character, Staff Sgt. William James played by Jeremy Renner who comes off like a Mad Max renegade. Many times over the character puts his and others life on the line for an adrenaline rush. Real life EOD team leader, taff Sgt. Jeremy D. Phillips has come forward stating that his job is not nearly as dramatic as what the movie makes it out to be…

“My interest is bringing myself and my team members home alive, with all of our appendages in the right place.” Although he was glad the film highlighted their trade, he disliked the celluloid treatment of EOD units. “There is too much John Wayne and cowboy stuff.”

All I can say is, welcome to Hollywood! Kathryn Bigelow‘s film does a great job of bringing the truth to the big screen, but it is still a movie and they did use a fictional character to make it work. Writer/Producer Mark Boal reminds us that the film was not intended to be a documentary or a training film…

“We certainly made creative choices for dramatic effect,” he said. “But I hope the choices were made respectfully and conscientiously.”

More to the point, just because this one EOD team leader wasn’t like Renner’s character doesn’t mean anything. Many military personal have held the much talked about position, surely some of them are like him and many of them are not. To say that one person isn’t like another shouldn’t really be a surprise to anyone.

Who thinks this is just propaganda for the film? Who thinks that the film has done a poor job at representing the real EOD team leaders?

Source: ChicagoTribune

Kathryn Bigelow Tapped For HBO Pilot

Anet Hovhanesian — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:34:55 +0000

Kathryn Bigelow, who brought us the Oscar nominated film, The Hurt Locker will direct a pilot for HBO, according to Reuters. The drama will be called, “The Miraculous Years“ and it will explore a New York family through the lens of a charismatic, self-destructive Broadway composer.

“The Miraculous Years” will feature a flamboyant character at the center and will be written by John Logan. He’ll work alongside Bigelow aka the “It” director of the moment, as she tries to take over the television world as she has with film. Bigelow, who recently became the first woman to win an award from the Directors Guild of America, also has plans to direct the South America-set feature Triple Frontier.

Logan whose previous works include The Last Samurai and Sweeney Todd has also been nominated for a few Academy Awards. He has earned two original screenplay nominations for Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. These two movie powerhouses could be TV’s saving grace if they can take the magic of their silver screen efforts and bring it into our homes.

What do you think of the story for The Miraculous Years? Do you think this new project of Bigelow’s will be worth watching?

Kathryn Bigelow to Direct Held by The Taliban

Krystal Clark — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:33:51 +0000

Story has been updated. See the latest news below…

The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow has been on a roll for the past year thanks to her work on the Iraq based war film. She’s been on the receiving end of several critic awards, and will be up for a Golden Globe this coming Sunday. She’s found her niche, and will be heading back to the Middle East for her next feature film entitled, Held By the Taliban.

Update: According to a report from MTV, Bigelow and producers are not in talks to adapt Held By The Taliban. “This report is inaccurate. There is no movie deal,” a Times spokeswoman told MTV News. “There is no deal and no one is attached to the project,” the spokeswoman stated.

According to a recent tweet from Production Weekly, Bigelow will take on the Taliban story based on a series of articles that were published in the New York Times. The articles recount the time spent by writer David Rohde, who was held as a prisoner in a Taliban camp in Afghanistan for seven months and ten days. Rohde and several of his companions were taken hostage, while investigating an area where they thought Osama Bin Laden was hiding.

After their ordeal in the Taliban prison, the author wrote about his harrowing experience and published it in the Times. After the success of Hurt Locker we’re not surprised that Bigelow was the person tapped to adapt the story for film. She obviously has no problem showing the true, gritty nature of war.

There aren’t many specifics regarding the film adaptation as of yet, but we’ll keep you informed as they become available.

Do you think Bigelow is the right choice for the Taliban movie? Who else could take on the subject matter?

Will Kathryn Bigelow Make Oscar History?

Krystal Clark — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:37:27 +0000

All year Up in the Air has been a festival and critics darling thanks to the great script and direction of Jason Reitman. The only thing that may keep it from gaining Oscar gold is the dark horse, The Hurt Locker. The Kathryn Bigelow drama has been running neck and neck with Reitman’s latest, and is on it’s way to making Academy Awards history. If Bigelow gets a nomination and a win, she’ll be the first woman to ever receive a Best Director Oscar. But in order for her to break that barrier she has to take Reitman and his flick out of contention, which won’t be an easy feat.

For the Golden Globes, Up in the Air led the pack with 6 nominations, which included the major categories of Best Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay, and Supporting Actress. The Hurt Locker went on to receive recognition in all the same areas except for acting. The snub of Jeremy Renner was one of the biggest surprises but when the Screen Actors Guild gave their two cents, his performance was noted with a Best Actor nomination. Now he’s going head to head with Up in the Air’s George Clooney as well as a slew of other talented actors.

Up in the Air won Best Picture from the Southeastern and Washington DC Film Critics, while The Hurt Locker took the honor from The New York Film Critics Circle and The Boston Society of Critics. This is one of the few times that a female directed film has garned so much critical attention. Locker‘s Kathryn Bigelow has single handedly swept most of the directing categories this year, which means an Oscar could be in her reach.

Throughout history only three women have been nominated for the coveted prize with the last one being Sofia Coppola for her work on Lost in Translation. Even though Reitman has been noted as the early frontrunner, Bigelow’s work on The Hurt Locker can’t be ignored. She helmed a brutally honest war film, with strong performances and a great screenplay. She’s proven that female directors don’t have to stick to romantic comedies to have a successful career.

With the exception of Lee Daniels and Precious, the big Oscar showdown will be between Reitman and Bigelow. If Reitman wins he’ll be one of the youngest, second generation directors to take home the award. But if Bigelow wins she’ll be the first woman to ever do so, which will make this year’s ceremony truly history in the making.

Who do you think should win Best Picture and Director at the Oscars?

Kathryn Bigelow to be Honored at The Hollywood Awards

Craig Sternberg — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:43:37 +0000

Let the award season begin! The 13th annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood awards have announced that Director Kathryn Bigelow will be honored with the “Hollywood Director Award”, Screenwriter Nora Ephron will be presented with the “Hollywood Screenwriter Award”, Disney/Pixar’s UP will get the “Hollywood Animation Award” and Scott Farrar, visual effects supervisor for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will receive the “Hollywood Visual Effects Award” at the festivals Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony.

The ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on October 26, 2009.

The Announcement was made by Carlos de Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Festival. “It is a great pleasure to recognize the extraordinary talent of Kathryn Bigelow, Nora Ephron, Peter Docter and Scott Farrar,” said Mr. de Abreu, “and to honor their achievements and contributions to filmmaking.”

Kathryn Bigelow recently directed The Hurt Locker, a film that received great acclaim. Bigelow’s remarkable work has alternated between edgy and art-house fare (The Loveless, Near Dark, The Weight of Water) and Hollywood products (Point Break, Strange Days, K-19: The Widowmaker) throughout a highly regarded career spanning more than 25 years.

Nora Ephron is an academy award nominated screen writer, her credits include films Heartburn, Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail and Bewitched.

Peter Docter is the director and writer of The Walt Disney Studios’/Pixar Animation Studios’ animated feature UP. Docter made his debut as a director on Monsters, Inc. for which he received an Academy Award nomination. He earned another for his original story credit on the Oscar-winning WALL-E.

Scott Farrar has been a part of the special effects super champs, Industrial Light & Magic since 1981 as a camera operator on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and was promoted to visual effects supervisor on Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In 1985, he received an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for his work on Cocoon. Since then he has received Oscar nominations for The Chronicles of Narnia, Backdraft, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence and Transformers.

Women Make a Big Impression on Media

Krystal Clark — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:11:08 +0000

Over the past year women have made some serious moves in the entertainment industry, and not just in front of the camera. According to Variety, this has been a banner year for women in media who are active in the field of acting, writing, directing, and television journalism. Some of the ladies who’ve come out on top include Tine Fey, Kathryn Bigelow, and Rachel Maddow from MSNBC.

For journalists everywhere it has been a historical past twelve months considering the election year we just had, and the massive amount of coverage that was done. Leading the way was Rachel Maddow, who quickly became the go to gal for political updates, analysis and commentary. Field reporter Christiane Amanpour earned her stripes for her daring coverage on war, genocide, famine and natural disasters in such hot zones as Rwanda, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

In the entertainment field, Tina Fey made quite the impression with her Sarah Palin SNL skits as well as her countless awards for her TV series 30 Rock. Also, female directors like Kathryn Bigelow and Jane Campion have directed two of the most talked about films for the upcoming awards season, The Hurt Locker and Bright Star.

Is this the part where I throw my fist to the sky and shout girl power?

What do you think about women in media? Are they taking major steps in the right direction?

Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal Reunite for Triple Frontier

Krystal Clark — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:10:33 +0000

After the such a positive critical response to their film The Hurt Locker, director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal will reunite for another project. According to Variety, the power pair have signed on to make the film Triple Frontier for Paramount. The feature is simply described as “a high-stakes ensemble project.”

Boal will pen the screenplay based on “the notorious border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil where the Igazu and Parana rivers converge — making “la triple frontera” difficult to monitor and a haven for organized crime.” Charles Roven (who apparently works on everything) will produce the film alongside Alex Gartner and Steve Alexander via their Atlas Entertainment company. Roven is looking to begin production within the next year.

Not only will Bigelow and Boal serve as director and writer for the film, but they will also executive produce. Nice coup for the desert pair. It appears that these two are sticking to what they know, war, violence, and overall conflict. To have a major studio have that much faith in your talent must speak volumes about their work on The Hurt Locker. I have yet to see it, but I do intend to at some point. It’s currently playing in limited release.

What do you think of Katherine and Mark reuniting for Triple Frontier?

Watch the First 8 Minutes of The Hurt Locker

Mali Elfman — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:08:19 +0000

In case you haven’t seen Kathryn Bigelow‘s latest film The Hurt Locker starring Jeremy Renner with Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, and appearances by Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes, we have a little something to entice you into theaters. Just to wet your appetite they have uploaded the first 8 minutes of the film to Hulu.

Now, this clip is intense, and I personally feel it should be seen with the whole movie. BUT if you’re on the fence as to whether or not you should see this film, I think this clip below should seal the deal.

Watch the first 8 minutes below…

Are you convinced yet?

The Hurt Locker: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:36:35 +0000

Kathryn Bigelow‘s (interview) new film The Hurt Locker starring Jeremy Renner (interview), Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty, with special appearances by Guy Pearce, Ralph Feinnes, David Morse, and Evangeline Lilly is a must see film about men who do one of the most dangerous job’s in the world.

This film has amazing performances, an unbelievable setting, and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. It’s not just another war film, Bigelow has redefined the genre with this film.

Check out the good, the bad and the plot below…

Plot:

An intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James (Renner), takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn (Mackie) and Eldridge (Geraghty), by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. James behaves as if he’s indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James’ true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

The Good:

Non-Partisan POV: Bigelow creates a world where you have respect for what our soldiers are doing and why they are doing it, and yet does not support war. In fact, the film doesn’t outwardly say anything about war, but rather what it does to and for the people in it.
The Suspense: Bigelow is a master of suspense. She knows how to take us out of our comfort zone. Nothing plays out like you expect it to, so just like the characters you’re watching, pay attention and along for a ride.
The Acting: From Pearce’s kick ass entrance to Renner’s fast but loose, crazy man performance, the acting in this film was amazing. Mackie was a powerful Sergeant that brought sense to what was happening and could stand up to Renner. Geraghty was the sweet kid who we all know doesn’t belong in a war and yet finds courage to risk his life everyday.
The Location: They shot this film in Jordan, not far from active-war zones in 120 degree weather and you can feel it. From the beautiful long-range shots to the sand that wedges itself into your pores.
No Answers: Without giving anything away, the film proposes questions without answers. In fact even in our interviews with Bigelow and Renner, they weren’t giving away any answers. So it’s up to you to decide how you feel.

The Bad:

Runtime: I’m being very picky by even mentioning this, but I do think you could have cut the run-time just a bit. There were a few moments where the pace could have been slightly picked up to make the film clip along a bit faster.

Overall:

The is a great film that sticks with you. It’s not your typical war film because it’s not about the war, it’s about what’s important, the people in it.

RATING: 7

Check out the film in theaters June 26th.

Interview with Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Mali Elfman — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:47:59 +0000

Action-packed Director Kathryn Bigelow has successfully redefined the war film genre with her new film The Hurt Locker starring Jeremy Renner. The film is unique in the way that it that you neither pity nor root for the soldiers, but empathize with their situation. Bigelow makes you a voyeur to the human side of war and in doing so you are able to see both the pride of the people who defend our country and the consequences of performing one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

Check out what she had to say about making the film below…

Where there some logistical headaches that you couldn’t get over in terms of working in Jordan?

Bigelow: I would say that it was a very film friendly, very hospitable, very generous place in which to shoot and perfect because you are making a movie about the Middle East, but it was hot. We shot in the summer and average temperature: 110, 115. Jeremy’s bomb suit, as he might of mentioned, weight somewhere between 80 and 100 pounds, and that is not a wardrobe kind of cheat to look real, but yet was vented all the way through. Mo, no, this had steal plates and literally a lack of oxygen. Those were the kind of logistical challenges, but also the great thing about Jordan was all of our extras were real Iraqi refugees from the occupation and so, some of who are actually actors, that was kind of a great bonus I didn’t anticipate.

One of the things that I was so entranced by this movie is you made the camera was so participatory. It felt very much like you were immersed in like the fourth person running through. How did you create that?

Kathryn Bigelow: Well that was actually the intention. Mark had came back from Iraq and these incredible observations, you know, real first person look at the day in the life of the bomb tech. So I kept thinking how can I preserve the reportorial quality the script has? I mean the script really read like you were there and it’s a page turner and so I wanted to protect that feeling and give the audience that opportunity to be on embed with a bomb squad. So I found Barry Ackroyd, this truly—one of the most gifted cinematographers working in the business today. And we shot in super sixteen, which gave us this kind of life and dexterity and opportunity—in four units—which was an opportunity to cover these sets because bomb disarmament kind of dictates approximately a 300 meter containment—the ground forces sort of stop the war for you, the bomb tech to walk on whatever ordinance you are meant to disarm or blow in place, which is what it refers to. And so wanting the audience to real fondemental geographic sense of space and, in other words, to go from here to there, and you know this is off limits and this is on limits, and so that was really critical and keeping it very live and you-are-there experience.

***Spoiler ahead: skip the next question to avoid a spoiler!***

One of the genius pieces parts in the film, for me, is when you cast some of the more-well known actors in the smaller roles and just snuffed them out really fast. Was that on purpose?

Bigelow: Yeah. From the moment—it’s a bit of a spoiler, but the film is very designed to make you feel very comfortable with Guy Pearce and sort of make you feel—alright he’s going take you through this incredibly indomitable landscape and then of course he doesn’t. And then you are met with actors who are less familiar. And really it goes back to Mark on his imbed. I mean, as a soldier over the there, you don’t know whose going to live. If you are a soldier in an imbed over there or a reporter in an imbed, I mean, he didn’t know if he was going to come back. Nobody knows what is going to happen one day to the next or on hour or one minute to the next. So if you have actors on the screen for which that doesn’t—long sort of cinematic linear or prominence comes attached too, therefore you think well it is Tom Cruise, how could he possibly be harmed until perhaps the end of the movie. That ups the anti- in terms of tension and suspense. As well, it’s an opportunity to work with very talented actors, you know, some of the most talented actors of our generation so there you have it, but now here you have Mark’s goal.

When I watched the film I definitely got pangs of the adrenaline junkie Point Breakish- kind of thing. How important was it to have that side of the character while at the same time focusing on the reality behind someone like him?

Bigelow: Well in a way it’s kind of a coincidence, I do look at film, as being very the opportunity to be very experiential. If you really want to stretch the medium you can give a viewer an experience that they can’t otherwise easily get—let’s say you want to sign up for a tour of duty. And so when he came back and he was talking about some of these individuals in kind of an idea for a character that he had that combined a few of them, where they had a tremendous amount of swagger and bravado, and almost verging on being reckless, but at the same time combining that with a really profound skill set. I thought, really, that was an interesting course of direction.

Then we looked at Chris Hedges’ book “War is a Force that Gives us Meaning” and one of the elements that he drools down on is “wars dirty little secret, some men love it.” So he really looks at it because he is a war voluntary that there is—not to everybody and it is not a generalization, but there is a sort of allure and attractiveness that combat possesses. So like the war reporter, like the war photographer, you know some, who knows, bull rider, whatever, there are certain vocations that speak to that kind of psychological component—is hungry for those peak experiences.

We were talking to Jeremy and he said that his first question to you was “how do you want the audience to feel at the end of the movie?” How did you want the audience to feel at the end of the movie?

Bigelow: Well I think it’s a little bit of both, you know, to a certain extent his life—the sergeant James character is truly a hero, I believe, but at the same time that heroism comes with a price, and I think that is what I said to Jeremy way back way, is that their is a price to his heroism and can he reintegrate—is his home life really ruined is too strong of a word, but it definitely doesn’t provide the purpose and meaning that being out in the field disarming a bomb does. And unfortunately nothing can replicate that for particular character and so it is a bit of both.

And can you talk about casting, the three guys who all said they wouldn’t be able to do the movie without each other…

Bigelow: They really created a kind of unit, which is just extraordinary. I was familiar with Jeremy because of Dahmer and I just thought that was one of the great performances, I mean, his ability to elicit sympathy for that character, I found virtually unimaginable and yet he did it, and so it was amazing. Anthony Mackie in Half Nelson, I just thought he was riveting—I know it’s a small part in the, I loved the whole, everybody was great, but he just commanded the screen. And Brian Geraghty in Jarhead, again not a big part, but riveting and memorable. I knew Jeremy had to be Sergeant James and then the real challenge because he is such a talented actor is to find other actors who could kind of meet his talent head on and challenge him to a certain extent. Anyways, then you have to think in sort of an ensemble and I found Anthony, found Brian, and it was kind of a perfect match.

Your visual style is very distinctive. Was there anything that you set out to do in this film?

Bigelow: Well a big part was getting in his head because I didn’t go to Baghdad. I’ve been to Jordan, and Kuwait, but not to Baghdad and really trying to get in his head and trying to see his imbed through his eyes and have break it down—bomb disarmament, protocol, what does it smell like, what does it feel like, what do the—just the flies and the garbage, just because of it being an occupation there’s all sort of normal services. So just living in a war zone and fear on a daily basis. What adrenaline, that fear-base adrenaline does to the human psyche, so it’s really looking at a day in the life of a bomb attack through his eyes. So it wasn’t like imposing a visual style in it, it was pulling from him and trying to make it as real and authentic as possible. And in every juncture turning to him and saying, “Okay, is this real, is this what it was like? You know, what is wrong here?” And believe me, he would tell me.

Check out The Hurt Locker in theaters this Friday, June 26th, 2009.

ScreenCrave.com » Kathryn Bigelow

Who Should Replace Gary Ross As Director Of ‘Catching Fire’?

1. Steven Soderbergh

2. Kathryn Bigelow

3. Ang Lee

4. Brad Bird

5. Duncan Jones

6. Joe Wright

7. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

8. Debra Granik

9. Tom Hooper

10. Cary Fukunaga

Alternates:

Absolutely Nots:

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