THL CONTEXT FLASHCARDS
Who’s the director? – Kathryn Bigelow
When was it released? – 2008
How many awards did it win? – 6 Academy Awards, including best picture in 2009
How did they maintain realism? – used Iraqi refugees as extras and shot in Amman and Jordan so
the architecture was similar
What was a feeling of immersion created? – when blocking scenes, neither the camera men nor
actors were aware of each other’s movements
How did the writer maintain accuracy? – he went to Iraq and lived with bomb squad soldiers, and
went on missions with them
How was it shot? – over 44 days on 16mm film rolls with about 14 cameras going at the same time
What were Bigelow’s intentions? – give the audience a real look at fighting a war, maintain
reportorial quality, have it be immersive and blur distinction between sound design and score,
educate people on bomb disposal squads
What were some criticisms? – criticised for its unrealistic depiction of wartime conditions, James’
demeanour is criticised
Conventions of the war genre narrative? – set during real wartime, focus on soldiers, conflict-
driven plots, journeys or transformation, sacrifice
Conventions of the war genre characters? – hero is a brave soldier who is tested morally, the
squad is a group of soldiers with different personalities, the enemy is often faceless, civilians are
victims or moral compasses
Conventions of the war genre visuals? – muted colour palettes, handheld/shaky cameras, realistic
sound design, grainy footage, gritty environments
Conventions of the war genre themes? – brotherhood and camaraderie, trauma and PTSD, duty vs
morality, nationalism or anti-war sentiments, sacrifice and heroism
Conventions of the war genre ideologies? – Glorification of patriotism or questioning it,
dehumanisation of the enemy vs humanising moments
Convetions of the war genre iconography? – Military uniforms, helmets, weapons, flags,
explosions, trenches, war-torn landscapes, letter from home, photographs of loved ones
How does THL conform to the narrative of the genre? – set during a real war (the Iraq War),
features high-stakes, combat-related tensions
How does THL conform to the characters of the genre? – James = hero, the squad includes classic
archetypes like Sanborn = level-headed one, Eldridge = anxious one, the enemy are unseen and
ambiguous
How does THL conform to the visual style of the genre? – uses handheld camera work to increase
realism, muted colour palette, authentic sound design, realistic costuming and iconography
How does THL conform to the themes of the genre? – explores brotherhood, duty, and sacrifice,
deals heavily with PTSD and trauma, questions the line between heroism and obsession
How does THL subvert the narrative of the genre? – lack of clear overarching plot, no clear enemy
– the threat comes from the environment, ends on a bleak note rather than triumph or resolution,
the hero returns to war voluntarily
How does THL subvert the characters of the genre? – James isn’t a traditional hero (reckless,
addicted to war, emotionally closed off), no significant civilian or love interest, the villain is internal
– James’ psychology
How does THL subvert the themes of the genre? – Instead of glorifying war, it critiques the
addiction to adrenaline and danger, shows war as monotonous, tense, and dehumanising, not just
action-filled and heroic
How does THL subvert the audience engagement of the genre? – It’s an open text – invites
interpretation rather than presenting a clear moral stance, more psychological thriller than
traditional war epic
What were Bigelow’s signatures? – realism and immersion, intense physical and psychological
tension, complex characters, subversion of genre tropes, use of genre tropes, minimalist dialogue
How does Bigelow create realism? - Handheld cameras, natural lighting, use of long takes, POV
shots, shoots on location
How does Bigelow create tension? - Puts characters in extreme situations, focuses on
psychological strain, builds through silence, stillness and delayed action
How does Bigelow use violence as a psychological tool? - Violence is sudden, brutal and
unglamorous, it’s used to explore fear and addiction
How does Bigelow use minimal dialogue? – Shows rather than tells through facial expressions and
pacing, dialogue is sparse which adds to realism
How does Bigelow use complex characters? - Protagonists are usually flawed, explores
masculinity, moral ambiguity, female characters are often sidelined
Who’s the director? – Kathryn Bigelow
When was it released? – 2008
How many awards did it win? – 6 Academy Awards, including best picture in 2009
How did they maintain realism? – used Iraqi refugees as extras and shot in Amman and Jordan so
the architecture was similar
What was a feeling of immersion created? – when blocking scenes, neither the camera men nor
actors were aware of each other’s movements
How did the writer maintain accuracy? – he went to Iraq and lived with bomb squad soldiers, and
went on missions with them
How was it shot? – over 44 days on 16mm film rolls with about 14 cameras going at the same time
What were Bigelow’s intentions? – give the audience a real look at fighting a war, maintain
reportorial quality, have it be immersive and blur distinction between sound design and score,
educate people on bomb disposal squads
What were some criticisms? – criticised for its unrealistic depiction of wartime conditions, James’
demeanour is criticised
Conventions of the war genre narrative? – set during real wartime, focus on soldiers, conflict-
driven plots, journeys or transformation, sacrifice
Conventions of the war genre characters? – hero is a brave soldier who is tested morally, the
squad is a group of soldiers with different personalities, the enemy is often faceless, civilians are
victims or moral compasses
Conventions of the war genre visuals? – muted colour palettes, handheld/shaky cameras, realistic
sound design, grainy footage, gritty environments
Conventions of the war genre themes? – brotherhood and camaraderie, trauma and PTSD, duty vs
morality, nationalism or anti-war sentiments, sacrifice and heroism
Conventions of the war genre ideologies? – Glorification of patriotism or questioning it,
dehumanisation of the enemy vs humanising moments
Convetions of the war genre iconography? – Military uniforms, helmets, weapons, flags,
explosions, trenches, war-torn landscapes, letter from home, photographs of loved ones
How does THL conform to the narrative of the genre? – set during a real war (the Iraq War),
features high-stakes, combat-related tensions
How does THL conform to the characters of the genre? – James = hero, the squad includes classic
archetypes like Sanborn = level-headed one, Eldridge = anxious one, the enemy are unseen and
ambiguous
How does THL conform to the visual style of the genre? – uses handheld camera work to increase
realism, muted colour palette, authentic sound design, realistic costuming and iconography
How does THL conform to the themes of the genre? – explores brotherhood, duty, and sacrifice,
deals heavily with PTSD and trauma, questions the line between heroism and obsession
How does THL subvert the narrative of the genre? – lack of clear overarching plot, no clear enemy
– the threat comes from the environment, ends on a bleak note rather than triumph or resolution,
the hero returns to war voluntarily
How does THL subvert the characters of the genre? – James isn’t a traditional hero (reckless,
addicted to war, emotionally closed off), no significant civilian or love interest, the villain is internal
– James’ psychology
How does THL subvert the themes of the genre? – Instead of glorifying war, it critiques the
addiction to adrenaline and danger, shows war as monotonous, tense, and dehumanising, not just
action-filled and heroic
How does THL subvert the audience engagement of the genre? – It’s an open text – invites
interpretation rather than presenting a clear moral stance, more psychological thriller than
traditional war epic
What were Bigelow’s signatures? – realism and immersion, intense physical and psychological
tension, complex characters, subversion of genre tropes, use of genre tropes, minimalist dialogue
How does Bigelow create realism? - Handheld cameras, natural lighting, use of long takes, POV
shots, shoots on location
How does Bigelow create tension? - Puts characters in extreme situations, focuses on
psychological strain, builds through silence, stillness and delayed action
How does Bigelow use violence as a psychological tool? - Violence is sudden, brutal and
unglamorous, it’s used to explore fear and addiction
How does Bigelow use minimal dialogue? – Shows rather than tells through facial expressions and
pacing, dialogue is sparse which adds to realism
How does Bigelow use complex characters? - Protagonists are usually flawed, explores
masculinity, moral ambiguity, female characters are often sidelined
