The Hurt Locker cleaned up on Oscar night, taking home six trophies, including Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win the award) and Best Picture. The Academy has spoken ? but what do the critics have to say? Where does The Hurt Locker rank with the pundits among the Best Picture winners?
Very highly, it turns out. At 97 percent, The Hurt Locker is the 13th best-reviewed Best Picture of all time ? one slot below Gone With the Wind and one above Casablanca (we?re shocked -- shocked! -- at that fact as well). It?s also the best-reviewed war film ever to win -- The Hurt Locker tops Schindler?s List (number 15), Patton (number 16), The Best Years of Our Lives (number 19) and All Quiet on the Western Front (number 20). In other words, The Hurt Locker is in the company of some undisputed classics. But there?s plenty more to explore ? take a tour of Oscar history with RT?s Best of the Best Pictures countdown!
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wow Hurt Locker #13 and just recently added. Man that was a great film that all people in our time should watch
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It was certainly terrific but lets slow down on it being better than Al Quiet and Casablanca..
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Yea hurt locker was good, but above casablanca? I'll agree to disagree.
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Hurt Locker is probably the worst war movie I've ever seen. 30 years from now, when people look back on the Academy Awards they are going to realize how stupid the general public is for accepting a propagandistic, unrealistic and poorly acted film over one of the most monumental cinematic achievements of the decade--Avatar. For this film to win best director and best picture just smells like the Academy is trying to curry favor with Washington, or maybe they just feel socially obligated to make up for all the pinko actors and their anti-war propaganda by rallying around this film. I can't say I blame them completely. However, as time passes, their decision will appear more obviously egregious and be one more reason for tomorrow's children to look at today's adults and wonder, "what the hell where you guys thinking?"
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I meant to say academy, not general public.
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I meant to say academy, not general public.
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I haven't seen The Hurt Locker, but Avatar was a pretty tawdry picture with little worth beyond its ground-breaking visuals. Laughable dialog, poor acting, and a boring, trite, simplistic story. I assure you that in 10 years, it will not stand up to scrutiny - James Cameron was so determined to add a third dimension to the visuals that he only granted one to his characters.
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"James Cameron was so determined to add a third dimension to the visuals that he only granted one to his characters".
God, this. (See my review if you want).
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"James Cameron was so determined to add a third dimension to the visuals that he only granted one to his characters".
God, this. (See my review if you want).
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So true! The story was rubbish. All reviews by actual serving personnel say how unrealistic and badly researched it was. More gruesome than it needed to be ie. the bomb sown into the boys stomach. A travesty that it won over the worldwide favorite Avatar which I am still buzzing about two months after seeing it, couldn't see it twice as Imax was sold out! - today the Oscars ceased to exist for me. You are correct that people will realise down the line that this was just the Academy trying to curry favour with Washington and US policy and patriotism as opposed to the movie that the 'general public' around the world felt was the true best movie!
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How true! HOW TRUE!!!!
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Oops...forgot...sewn in the stomach...think I remember that news item from somewhere...should i google that?..oh well, that's neither here nor there...
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I absolutely agree. I am embarassed for womankind. Finally, a woman wins and this is what we get? It was so predictable and unintelligent. A few good cinematography moments does not make an oscar winner! To take such a good subject....comentary on the addictions of war and the inabiltiy to assimilate back into society...and botch it so badly is well, sad. To take a movie directed by someone who also directed Point Break and put it up there with Apolcalypse Now and the like is criminal. What an insult to any intelligent being out there, not to mention how undermining it is for someone like Jeff Bridges, who is totally deserving. I will never watch another Oscar Ceremony.
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wow, did i write that posting or is there someone out there that thinks exactly like i do. i couldn't make it past 30 minutes of the film. i am an iraqi war veteran, and have been there and done that. we, veterans, like the thanks we are receiving for our efforts, but this movie is terrible.
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You see Ben....this is what I don't understand, I am an OIF veteran myself did an IA with the army as a Corpsman just recently....still active duty headed out to 1stmardiv to do my time with the Marines which is most likely headed out to Afghan fairly soon.
HL took as much dramatic license as Apocalpypse Now took on vietnam, I don't see it as accurate betrayal of how a soldier is supposed to behave (I thought it was fairly humorous when they thought about fragging the staff seargeant because of his behavior..i would think the same thing.) But I do appreciate the fact that we have a film that first and formost does not portray the military as "bad" like many of the other films....such as Avatar which are blatantly disrespectful of the military and always portray the military as bad guys, unsympathetic and without feeling.....shame on the Hurt Locker for portraying the men of our great military as thinking human beings.
Now when i say it will be used as a reference....it will, that doesn't necessarily mean an accurate reference...niether were Platoon or Apocalypse Now...they were films that used the war as a back drop...as did HL. But to portray the war as authentic would most likely be very boring.....because there are long stretches of boredom.
Disgust for portrayal of our military I save for films like Avatar and so many others....but not Hurt Locker.
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Caleb, Platton was made by a veteran of the vietnam conflict and is based on his experiences there. Tell Oliver Stone that his film isn't realistic....I dare you
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It is a crime that The Hurt Locker has joined the ranks of Platoon.
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Completely agree with you.
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I didn't mean that THE HURT LOCKER was the worst war movie, but it was really overrated. And I agree that's all politics.
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filmdudejeff, what are you talking about?
so Avatar should've won the best picture? seriously? did you pay attention to the movie, i mean, the dialogues, the scenes, the story in general? totally cliche-ridden, unoriginal, nothing new. how could it ever win best picture?
okay, it has beautiful effects, it was a wonderful experience at the movie theater, really great.. but "best picture" is more than that.. you can't just use a lazy script to cover for a great special effects show-off.
so that's where the hurt locker beats avatar 10x0. like Brian R wrote, when you put both movie in 2D on the TV, avatar has nothing. to me, even at the movies it had nothing to offer for best picture. it had great publicity, like all other james cameron's movies. i'm so glad he didn't win.
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You've got to be joking me. Propagandistic? There were absolutely no politics in the movie whatsoever, it was an objective study of war more concerned with a soldier's psyche than why we're there. Get your facts straight. It sounds like you've never even seen the film.
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It actually is war propaganda. Even though it was a movie about the psyche of soldiers it showed them wanting to go back. That is propaganda if I ever saw it.
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Hurt Locker was propagandist? I don't recall any slant in the movie; one of the few criticisms of the movie was that it didn't take a stand. Regardless, Avatar did not deserve to even be nominated for best picture, let alone win. While I enjoyed Avatar immensely, it was simply an entertaining popcorn flick, nothing more. There are technical awards for technical achievements; that is not what the best picture is intended for.
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Kudos. I agree completely
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you are completely and utterly right. of course ppl would pick this ridiculously one sided righteous crap movie over Avatar, because - you guessed it - this shows americans in a good light, while avatar emphsizes the crappiness of the white house esp in light of the recent Iraq war. if Avatar had portrayed the baddies as russians, or chinese or north koreans, you can be SURE it would have swept all the awards this ridiculous (repetitive i know, but what other word could you use?) film won.
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Just before the commercial two or three options come on the screen and folks are encouraged to pick one via text or email. The show comes back and that track is then followed. Each break would determine the next scene.
reputation management
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I thought Hurt Locker was a very good movie. Not excellent. Not superb. Very good. Solid. (I was little underwhelmed by the time the end credits rolled but still liked it overall.)
Then I read some reviews of the movie by actual vets of the Iraq War and my appreciation decreased slightly.
Basically my feeling is that it's the first decent movie (in terms of cinematography and acting) about the Iraq War, and thus people are going a little crazy over it. The fact that it's an extremely unrealistic, Hollywoodized version the conflict just adds a layer of irony to the proceedings.
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I have heard both rave reviews and negative reviews from veterans. It does not make veterans look like heroes or villains...it makes them look human. What I loved about the movie was how it immersed you in the constant feeling of alertness(not necessarily fear) that our troops probably experience. Everyone looks like the enemy,(even children playing) every corner may have a sniper. Favorite scene that conveys this is the taxi scene - was it just a taxi??
I am glad that it was not an overly sentimental piece. Showing our troops warts and all actually elevated my respect for them. We have asked them to make so many grey decisions on a daily basis, and they figure out a way to do it. I know it isnt something I could do.
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I have heard both rave reviews and negative reviews from veterans. It does not make veterans look like heroes or villains...it makes them look human. What I loved about the movie was how it immersed you in the constant feeling of alertness(not necessarily fear) that our troops probably experience. Everyone looks like the enemy,(even children playing) every corner may have a sniper. Favorite scene that conveys this is the taxi scene - was it just a taxi??
I am glad that it was not an overly sentimental piece. Showing our troops warts and all actually elevated my respect for them. We have asked them to make so many grey decisions on a daily basis, and they figure out a way to do it. I know it isnt something I could do.
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Overall, a generally sensible list, but listing "Marty" and especially "Rebecca" ahead of "Casablanca" and "The Best Years of Our Lives" invites a major raising of eyebrows, as in "What were they thinking?"
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You guys have to remember, the list is based off the score that RT has given it thus far. And I can say that the RT score is based off maybe 10% of the amount of reviews that have been given to the other 82 movies. That's why in 10 years, this whole list will change. So I RT people who write articles like this, deserve to be bonked on the head for the logic of "placing" any new movie with such "high" RT scores but so "little" merit to base those "complete" scores off of them. So commenting about this beyond this post, means you didn't read this and you just wanna bicker/complain about the list or how good/bad Hurt Locker is and wanna pick a fight w/someone about how its better than the classic movies listed.
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Yeah dude, I think everybody knows that. But what's the point of putting out a comment section if you aren't willing to read people's opinions. That's the best part about it, that's what these blog style articles are made for.
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DM,
I disagree. The RT ratings are actually a decent way to compare movies from different eras but of course it is flawed. The problem with these kinds of comparisons is that it is hard to get reviewers to evaluate the films based on the era in which they were produced.
In my opinin, one of the great successes of the Hurt Locker was that it wasnt about war so much as the individual soldier. And it was markably a-political in a lot of ways. The way that the film builds suspense and tension from scene to scene appears to be lost of alot of the folks who have seen the film or they post comments without actually having seen it. Avatar was a good special affects film that will revolutionize movie making but that does not mean it fulfilled the artistic and story telling techniques, along with acting, necessary to be a best picture. I think the Hurt Locker by far was a much more complete film.
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Here is a question worth considering... what movie did The Hurt Locker beat out for best picture - which other film was the closest to winning. I bet that it was not Avatar. Avatar was nominated for alot of oscars but most of them were for sound and special affects related awards which it deserved. But when it comes down to major awards, My guess is that the closest film to The Hurt Locker was Precious. It was nominated for best Actress and best Supporting Actress, Directing, Best Picture, writing, and I think editing but cant remember for sure.
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Hi Adam P. I totally agree. The Best Picture winner is almost always nominated and/or wins a Screenplay Oscar as well. "Avatar" did not get a screenplay nominations. The most shocking part of the Oscars for me was when "The Hurt Locker" won the 2 technical awards, for Sound Effects Editing and Best Sound, I think. I had these pegged for "Avatar" definately, because usually a summer blockbuster type film wins these awards. I was not expecting "The Hurt Locker" to get these. And although "Precious" was well acted, it was the most depressing film I saw in 2009. "(500)Days of Summer" deserved one of the 10 Best Picture slots and definately a nomination for its brilliant screenplay.
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Casablanca should of been in the top 3.
The Hurt Locker should of been a lot lower if we RT score wasn't a factor.
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what a joke Hurt Locker was OK but it shouldnt have won Best Director or Best Picture its laughable
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All respect to Katherine Bigelow, but nobody topped or is gonna top what James Cameron did in Avatar for probably ten or more years (perhaps including Cameron himself). Yes, the story was quite simple, but dangit it was fun to watch. I never quite thought his Titanic deserved all the acclaim it got, but Avatar deserved a little more.
Well, the again, all things considered...Avatar has made more money than the GDP of many industrialized nations, and we'll likely remember it's impact for years, so....I guess it made out allright.
BTW, the REAL best film of last year...UP.
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The Hurt Locker is better than Schindler's List? Ok, this list is clearly legit and not just a slew of best pictures in order of their tomatometer.
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I am extremely disappointed with the Academy. What I want to see is a list of expectations for winning certain awards because Hurt Locker does not compare to Avatar on so many levels. I'm just wondering what is seen in the Hurt Locker that isn't seen in Avatar that gave it the nod for director and best picture?
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What wasn't in Avatar that was in The Hurt Locker? Quality.
People talking about how the movies of this year will be looked back on? I think that someday we'll see Avatar for what it really is: a stunning advancement in computer technology and a crap film.
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The problem is, though Avatar definately destroyed the visuals, it doesn't have the plot or the script for a best picture. Sorry dude, Avatar was like fourth in line behind District 9, Inglorious Basterds and Hurt Locker
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The tomatometer is not the best tool to measure this, there's no other way to explain Casablanca being below The Hurt Locker. Ask any critic if they would rank The Hurt Locker above Casablanca, we can't even tell yet if The Hurt Locker will stand the test of time. I always remember Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan, it's a good movie but it seems stuck in the 90s and nearly forgotten, meanwhile SPR's influence on WWII cinematography can still be seen in current movies and it was added to AFI's 100 top films.
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The Oscars this year=EPIC FAIL.
Congrats to Bigalow though.
Damn fine looking woman to boot. (58 years young!)
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boy am i glad The Hurt Locker beat Avatar.
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Avatar was the best theater experience i've ever had....The Hurt Locker was the best movie i've seen in a long time. When you compare both movies in 2D on a tv there really isnt any competition and Hurt Locker wins.
Personally, I was hoping UP would win best pic....seriously....no other movie actually got that kind of emotional response out of me and ya, i know there are talking dogs and weird animals and dogs flying planes but the meaning in the movie was outstanding.
I'm just glad Christoph Waltz won cuz he was so amazing i had to watch the movie twice...once was to read what he was saying and the second was to watch him act out the words...he rocked it.
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First reasonable comment that I've read.
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I think Avatar will age very poorly.
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The Hurt Locker was just ok. I dont think it deserved best picture though.
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I'm at a loss to understand how you can place movies like Rocky, The Titanic and The Hurt Locker above classics such as High Noon, The Gold Rush, Double Indemnity, Modern Times, The Maltese Falcoln, Dr. Strangelove, The Red Shoes, The Wizard of Oz, Long Day's Journey Into Night, A Streetcar Named Desire, Elmer Gantry, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tiger Bay, A Raisin in the Sun, Bicycle Thief, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Searchers, La Strada, Rosemary's Baby, Some Like It Hot, Hud, The Grapes of Wrath, Vertigo, Psycho, The Hustler and many others. From my perspective, your list is a mess.
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You do realize this list is for those that won Best Picture, right? Idiot.
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