This movie is really his claim to fame, the role that kickstarted his rather rapid rise to recognition, even though he had some decent credits to his name before The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow came knocking. But this is the one that made Jeremy Renner a household name, at least in the houses that pay much attention to movies, and with good reason: he is perfect in the role of Sgt. James, a borderline madman charged with diffusing or disposing bombs in Iraq.
It’s a film that serves as a demonstration of the whole Chris Hedges “war is a force that gives us meaning” idea, that one of the big reasons countries stay in a state of perpetual war is because they like it. It makes them feel something. The Renner character in The Hurt Locker is a manifestation of the United States’ addiction to war: his role as a bomb diffuser, the best in the forces from the sounds of it, gives him purposes. When he returns from his tour, he’s lost. He doesn’t know how to live a life outside of these extreme situations. It’s a fascinating portrait of a character and a country, and Renner’s performance grounds it in reality, bringing a undercurrent of anger and confidence and magnetism and possible madness to the part that really brings Sgt. James to life. It’s probably the second-best role he’s played, to my mind.
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