ZERO DARK THIRTY Review

Release Date: January 11, 2013
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
MPAA Rating: R

Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty is a film that has garnered more attention than possibly any other film this year, whether it be for better or worse.  From those criticizing the depiction of torture, or how accurate it is, or the Senate’s investigation into the film, it seems that everyone is weighing in on this one.  Setting all the buzz and talk aside, is this a film worthy of being on so many top ten lists and the most certain awards nominations that it will likely receive? The short answer is yes, yes it is.

The film takes an in-depth look at the arduous and seemingly impossible task of tracking and killing the most wanted man in the world, Osama Bin Laden.  Jessica Chastain plays Maya, a young upstart CIA agent who takes on the role of lead investigator in the hunt, which begins in 2001 and continues for over a decade.

As you might expect, a lot happens in that period of time.  A new President takes office, more terror attacks occur, and by 2011 it feels unlikely that we would ever find this man.  This seemingly futile search is portrayed almost too well in the film, which is really one of its only shortcomings.  At 157 minutes, the first third of the film is a crawl with an endless number of interrogations, meetings, torture scenes, and character introductions, which some viewers may find cumbersome.

The film gradually picks up steam however and the suspense begins to ramp up as the investigators inch closer to their goal.  This introduces another aspect of the film that I found to be problematic, the forced feeling of suspense.  There are specific scenes in the film that seemed to be overly dramatic in order to increase the tension, and while it succeeded, it felt a little heavy handed.

Visually, this was similar to Bigelow’s previous film, The Hurt Locker, which certainly isn’t a bad thing.  Many of the shots were hand held which gave it a more realistic and documentary-like feel.  The finale involving the actual breach of Bin Laden’s compound was masterfully shot, combining hand held shots, night vision, and aerial views.

Whether or not you agree with the interrogation scenes, that’s not really the point of the film.  The importance of this movie comes from showing us the painstaking process and the incredible amount of detective work that went into tracking Bin Laden down. It’s not a film that is designed to raise ethical questions or to glamorize the event, it simply exists to show us how it went down.

Zero Dark Thirty is not a perfect film. It could have been more concise in its execution, but it’s still a must-see. Through excellent cinematography and solid performances, it’s no wonder that this landed on so many top ten lists. Plus it’s probably the greatest revenge story ever told, and we all like some revenge.