Zero Dark Thirty review

Dan: Can I be honest with you? I am bad fucking news. I'm not your friend. I'm not gonna help you. I'm gonna break you

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
(2012)

ZDT kicks off in startling fashion; a black screen reminiscent of Kubrick, the substance of the scene comes not from what we see, but what we hear. Actual audio from the September 11^th attacks on the world trade centre, people screaming, crying, a devastating combination of scared and confused. For a film that charts the journey of the locating and killing Osama Bin Laden, Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) takes the bold decision to start at the beginning. What begins is the almost 10 year hunt for the infamous perpetrator, shown through the determination and incredible will of one phenomenally dedicated woman, Maya (Jessica Chastain).

Maya’s journey begins in a detention centre in a CIA blacksite, bearing witness to the torture of Amman (Reda Kateb) a known associate of Al Qaeda. The dirty work is executed by Dan (Jason Clarke), an interrogator who becomes a close ally of Maya’s. Chastain does a wonderful job of showing Maya’s initial fragility, merely a young woman almost fresh out of high school. Dan’s interrogation is successful, giving Maya the name of Abu Ahmed. We follow Maya through her hunt for leads to Bin Laden, a mission she dedicates her life to.

As an audience, we all know how ZDT will end; the conclusion is ingrained in the memory of anyone old enough to remember the horror of 9/11. But the success of Bigelow and Hurt Locker writer Mark Boal is how this conclusion is reached, a strong emphasis on plot over story. Much like her previous film, ZDT can’t be stuffed into a genre like many films; instead it exists in many, ranging from drama to action. The opening, torture focused act makes way for the meat and potatoes of the film, almost an investigative thriller, not to mention a character study of Maya. Its engrossing stuff, riveting to the point of making the spurts of action almost seem dull.

Calling Chastain’s Maya the beating heart of ZDT would be a slightly misleading statement. Once again she steals scenes effortlessly, something she has done in everything appearance from The Tree of Life to Lawless. The talent of the actress isn’t in question here but instead the depth of her character. Maya is a machine, dedicating most of her life to hunting down terrorists. She’s cold, calculating and merciless; one dimensional up until the film’s sensational final shot. Strong female protagonist she might be, but she isn’t a complex one. This is somewhat bizarre, especially considering how brutal torturer Dan has his emotional frailties and intricacies. The fact Maya is based on an actual real life person (or persons) is ever so slightly terrifying.

For the most part Boal's dialogue is gripping and exciting, guiding the audience through the relatively complex plot without resorting to patronising handholding. Yet it has the occasional lapse, moments when he gives talented actors monumentally ridiculous things to say. It’s unfortunate that Chastain’s Maya takes the brunt of the flak, spouting shit such as (“I'm the motherfucker that found this place, sir.”), harmfully stripping away the seriousness of the films events up to this point. These slips into the outlandish aside, Boal has succeeded admirably.

Bigelow shifts gears once again in the final 3^rd, a startlingly accurate of SEAL Team 6’s raid on Bin Laden’s compound. It’s almost shot in real time, minute for minute. The ferocity of doors being breached and the vicious sound of bullets as they tear through the air are impressive, the lack of music amplifying the quality of the sound design, as well as perfectly setting the atmosphere. It’s entertaining, but never cinematic, Bigelow has puts more emphasis on crafting an accurate portrayal rather than an engrossing action scene. While this is admirable, taking some artistic licence with such a pivotal moment would have worked wonders.

 Taking into consideration the subject matter, Bigelow has succeeds admirably with Zero Dark Thirty. We all knew what the outcome of this 2 and a half hour film would be, but the way this conclusion is reached is engrossing. A fine example of how an excellent plot can infuse life in even the most well known stories.

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