Zero Dark Thirty is not The Hurt Locker. This may seem pretty obvious from the outset, but you’ve got to leave your preconceptions behind when you watch this chronicle of a decade-long manhunt. While both films share a number of crew and film-makers, these are two very different films.

The Hurt Locker presented a taut war thriller about a fearless soldier dedicated… no, addicted to serving his country in the war on terror. Zero Dark Thirty presents a series of eye witness accounts of the critical events leading up to the death of al-Qaeda terrorist leader, Osama bin Laden, from the perspective of a CIA investigator between September, 2001 and May, 2011.

The film has two primary objectives. The first is to present an accurate, entertaining, factual and informative behind-the-scenes dramatisation of CIA history. The second is to deliver this through the character portrait of a dedicated, tenacious and willful CIA operative. While Kathryn Bigelow just manages to walk this tightrope, it’s the content and bravado, and not the execution, that make it admirable.

The film has a disjointed feel. This can be attributed to the format as we’re transported from one time and place in CIA history to another over a 10 year period. This is all the more noticeable, since we’re never fully immersed in the story or plight of the lead character. This is further exacerbated by Bigelow’s attempt to stay somewhat detached in favour of factual accuracy over emotional connection.

“O-sama, sama, sama, sama, sama cha-me-leon!”

This makes Zero Dark Thirty quite alienating and cold-blooded. We’re presented with a version of the truth, which claims to be factually accurate, leaning hard on the credibility of a documentary. While the dramatic integrity of the events holds true, there aren’t enough points of entry for audiences, who want to fully invest in the character portrait at play.

Bigelow has used handheld cameras and similar guerilla style tactics to The Hurt Locker to create a realistic atmosphere, delivering a gritty and filmic version of behind-the-scenes CIA intelligence. Instead of a narrator to create a seamless link between the scenarios, continuity is established by a willful Jessica Chastain in a subdued Erin Brockovich type role, whose gives us a thread to hold onto through each time warp.

Chastain’s a talented actress, whose career looks incredibly promising after racking up nominations and noteworthy performances in Take Shelter, The Tree of Life, The Help, Lawless, Mama and now, Zero Dark Thirty in just two years. She holds an unusual beauty and it’s as if the camera finds a new facade with each close-up.

Her performance as Maya is brave, considering the lack of exposition, the controversial nature of Zero Dark Thirty and the fact that she wasn’t able to even meet the woman she plays. She’s ably supported by Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler and Jennifer Ehle, who help create a time-frame for events and provide her with a sounding board to showcase various aspects of her character.

This film has some strong parallels with Rendition, a Gavin Hood film starring Jake Gyllenhaal, especially the theme of torture. Many have criticised Zero Dark Thirty’s torture scenes, which covers some Guantanamo Bay style interrogations. You could argue that this demonstrates the lengths to which operatives went to, to extract information, yet there’s been some downplay from authorities close to the story post-Zero Dark Thirty.

Zero Dark Thirty is a valiant effort from The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow. The intrigue behind the manhunt and Osama bin Laden’s death still hold weight and this is carried forth by the docudrama’s fearlessness. Jessica Chastain steadies the film with a strong performance, but the uneasy marriage of documentary and drama diminishes the intended effect of Zero Dark Thirty, making it a first-rate misfire.

The bottom line: Bold

Release date: 15 February, 2013
Book Tickets at Ster-Kinekor
Book Tickets at Nu Metro
Catch more movie reviews at SPL!NG