The Hurt Locker: contexts and key sequences

The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, 2008): in Baghdad in 2004, Staff Sergeant William James joins an army bomb-disposal team, whose members Sanborn and Eldridge are unsettled by his reckless methods, as the unit counts down the days of its tour.
A low-budget independent production written by the journalist Mark Boal, who had been embedded with an army bomb-disposal unit in Baghdad, and shot in Jordan.
The Iraq War, and debates about whether the film is for or against the war.
Key sequences to know in detail: James's first call-out, the sniper fight in the desert, and the supermarket on his return home.
Cinematography and mise-en-scène: hand-held, documentary-style camerawork from several cameras, the bird's-eye shot of buried bombs, the bomb suit, and the bright supermarket against the dusty colours of Iraq.
Editing and sound: rapid cutting between viewpoints, the opening quotation about war as a drug, sparse naturalistic dialogue, and sound design that puts us inside the suit.
The few short lines of dialogue that matter most in these sequences, a few words each.
A short worked paragraph analysing one key sequence with precise film terms.
Worked answers with their marks, and practice questions to try, each headed 'Practice question' with its marks.
Quote only short lines of dialogue you're sure of, a few words at a time, and base every point on what happens in the finished film.

What you need to know