Zero Dark Thirty

When I first saw previews for this film the first thing I thought was "too soon." I love Kathryn Bigelow's work and her partnership with writer Mark Boal has produced some great stuff (i.e. The Hurt Locker), but making a film about the search for and eventual assassination of the most infamous foreign terrorist in American history felt too fresh. Well as it turns out, that was never the filmmakers intention. Initially meant to be an examination of "the search" the film unintentionally got an action packed coda when Seal Team Six completed their mission. Oddly enough this last minute adjustment got far less attention than the film's praise from critics and its portrayal of torture tactics by C.I.A. operatives. But does the film still hold up in the current political climate?

Beginning in 2003, the movie follows Maya (a last name is never given) a C.I.A. operative with the sole purpose of finding information about Osama Bin Laden. Though tenacious and strong-willed, Maya fights a consistent uphill battle against misinformation, questionable tactics, and disapproving superiors that don't trust her instincts. To succeed, Maya will have to stay sharp and follow her instincts to Bin Laden's location.

The one thing that stands out about Zero Dark Thirty, especially in hindsight, is that the film is predominantly a struggle against ignorance and stubbornness rather than a fight against terrorism. Admittedly the end goal and the film's eventual payoff is the assassination of Bin Laden, but most of Maya's struggles are internal not external. She fights against stereotypes about Al Qaeda including their practices and where they live, when speaking with Congress people and higher ups. She tries to tell her fellow operatives that their methods are ineffective at producing accurate information. She fights incorrect assumptions about which members of Bin Laden's circle are alive or dead.

Essentially the movie is a long, tense and procedural essay saying "let the competent woman do her job and get out her way so we can solve this problem." Hence towards the film's end, when asked why they have confidence about Bin Laden's location a member of Seal Team Six gestures to her and essentially says "because she said so." So if you're wondering if this film has some weight five years later it's central character's journey certainly does.

This also means that the politics of the aforementioned tactics are not the centerpiece. We see torture used, we see basic interrogation used, but there's rarely a reference to an administration's policy. Now it is noteworthy that the most effective information comes when Maya is allowed to talk with sources who aren't under duress, but the movie doesn't hit us over the head with the notion. The closest we get is a moment right after Obama's inauguration when members of the C.I.A. are told that they could be brought up on charges (but it's mostly ignored in service of the larger goal).

The focal point here is the Maya's personal journey, which is expertly conveyed by the always amazing Jessica Chastain. Chastain has gone on to advocate and actively pursue strong female roles and Maya is no exception. It's really hard to portray a hardened character like this but also demonstrate believable vulnerability at the same time, and Chastain handles those transitions beautifully. The rest of the cast is an admirable collection of stray men with decent turns from Mark Strong and Jason Clarke, but the guys you'll truly remember are Seal Team Six, in particular a wise-cracking Chris Pratt.

Structurally the film moves along at a deliberate pace. Maya makes progress, then encounters bumps in the road, usually in the midst of another attack or difference in opinion from leadership. It sounds potentially tedious but director Kathyrn Bigelow knows how to squeeze tension out of almost every scene (a notably impressive task considering that we know the eventual outcome)

She also gets to show off her action film-making chops during the Seal Team Six raid which is a magnetic and gritty portrayal of a black ops mission. Tons of tension, a little gunplay, but non of the explosive fanfare you'd expect from a Hollywood film. These are professionals doing their job. I'm sure some folk would prefer more ceremony to this sequence, but Thirty is going for grounded as possible.

The faults of the film are mostly related to the run-time. A number of scenes run a little too long and a couple of scenarios repeat themselves a few too many times, but you could argue that the monotony is kinda the point.

Though the events it was inspired by have faded slightly in the public memory, Zero Dark Thirty remains a gritty and relevant real-life thriller with a standout performance from Jessica Chastain and nerve-shredding finale. Highly recommended.