This film offers a deeply moving introspective look at man during times of war and the sacrifices and risks he makes to fulfill his duty. It provides a seamless look into a world that is fraught with danger and delivers characters that are so emotionally invested and damaged they seek but a small moment of normalcy. Only to find that normal is something they can never be again. With a level of suspense that never lets up through the movie and a story that is utterly engrossing and fascinating throughout the film makes for a visit to the theater that is unforgettable.

The primary effects in this movie are explosions. There may not be very many but when they happen you will not soon forget them. For instance, a bomb going off and watching how it effects the land, inanimate objects, and the people caught in the way is ever more exciting than just seeing the explosion occur. No, in this movie you get the small details, slowed down so as not to miss anything. These explosions are not for your pure enjoyment, they are themselves characters in the film and have a much larger purpose.

The use of the camera lens in this film is imperative to the impeccable storytelling. From the variety of angles that are captured with the hand held to sweeping landscape shots of the dry and desolate desert it is marvelous. The variety of POV shots bring you straight into the moment with the characters, into the action, and into the rough and dirty world of warfare. You rarely feel like an outsider looking in but instead you are entrenched in this world and all it has to offer the naked eye.

Kathryn Bigelow has successfully brought to the audience a film that is full of incredibly tense situations and deep rooted emotion. As the film progresses the slow, methodical pace of it heightens every sense in your body. You feel what the characters cannot; be it fear, loneliness, regret, or anticipation of the events to come. All you can do is simply hold your breath and go through the motions with them, all the while forgetting you sit in a theatre far away and safe from the events of screen. It is only with Bigelows incredible direction that this film grips you so tightly and never fully lets go, even as the credits begin to role.