Comments on: The Hurt Locker & Post-9/11 Films

By: Elefant

Elefant — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:28:16 +0000

The year 2001 should not be repeated

By: Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:32:01 +0000

Great article. I definitely need to see this film. Sounds amazing from all that I’ve heard (and I’m an indie filmmaker, so it should be inspiring).

You know which film needs to be included more on these lists of post 9/11 films? “The Dark Knight”. It’s definitely loaded with metaphors to the post 9/11 world we live in. Rewatch it with that perspective and you’ll see. (Just listen to the Joker’s speech about everything becoming chaos for further clarification “Look what I did to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple of bullets…”)

By: Bah

Bah — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:49:12 +0000

wot a crap movie how did it even get nominated

By: Beth

Beth — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:10:10 +0000

There is definitely a much bigger catalogue of films that could be discussed in terms of post- 9/11 films, but in this article Melissa is focusing on War films or film that are specifically concerned with America’s engagement with Afghanistan from 2001 and Iraq from 2003. It is probably my fault that this isn’t clearer in the title.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:50:02 +0000

Good call on the doccos, but I’ve got to agree with Bobby on 25th Hour. At the time it was easily Spike Lee’s best film since Malcolm X and I would argue it’s one of the best films of his career. Criminally overlooked, I can’t recommend this film highly enough.

In terms of best post-9/11 film I can think of no better starting point than a film that actually focusses on the people and the psychology of a city in which the event occurred.

Anyway, to be perfectly honest I’m more inclined to think of The Hurt Locker as a post-Iraq invasion film rather than post-9/11. I think there’s a very fine, but distinct line there.

Post-9/11 films really ought to deal with changes to the American-psyche, 25th Hour, Rendition, Taxi To The Dark Side. Post-Iraq invasion films look a little more like Green Zone or Hurt Locker in that they are straight up War Movies.

It think there’s room to develop this definition, which I don’t really have time to commit just now. But I think if you look a little closer to The Hurt Locker it’s not a post 9/11 film at all. Just because it takes place in that world doesn’t meant the two are intrinsically linked – otherwise you’re better of just calling it a post-Vietnam film.

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:55:20 +0000

There have been some really great post-9/11 documentaries;
No End in Sight
Road to Guantanamo
Taxi to the Dark Side
Standard Operating Procedures (certainly not Errol Morris’ best work, but still an insightful look at Abu Ghraib)

These docos have been a lot more critically successful than most live action features taking on Middle East geopolitics.

But the most intriguing question remains- why nobody is going to see these films? Even The Hurt Locker‘s box office takings worldwide were only approx. $US21 million, that is seriously low for an Oscar winning film (though this win has prompted a wider release in Australia).

By: Alice

Alice — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:21:39 +0000

Like your closing line!

I think Lions for Lambs is terribly underrated. I like where Redford was going with that film, if, ultimately, he didn’t succeed.

I haven’t seen 25th Hour, but for me, United 93 has been the most important, and harrowing post 9/11 film.

By: Bobby

Bobby — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:45:13 +0000

Best non-war post-9/11 film is easily The 25th Hour. Hit every note perfectly.