The Film
Director Kathryn Bigelow follows up her 2009 Oscar winner The Hurt Locker with another film worthy of a gold statue. Of course, this year's Best Picture honors went to Argo. I'm not going to get into an argument about which film is better. Just know that Zero Dark Thirty is the type of film that will stay with you -- and not necessarily in a good way.
After briefly (and brutally) revisiting that dreadful day in 2001, Zero Dark Thirty picks up two years after 9/11. From there, viewers are invited to ride shotgun with the CIA in its search of Osama bin Laden. At times, it's little slow, insanely thrilling, and hard to watch. Sometimes, it's all three at once.
Much of the film focuses on Maya (a wonderful Jessica Chastain), a young CIA officer stationed in Pakistan. She works with Dan (Jason Clarke), an officer that you don't want to come across --- well, ever. His abilities are downright hard to watch. Don't expect to see a romance between these two. There's no love and not much backstory for any of the characters. Like a top-secret mission, Bigelow only divulges the need-to-know information. In some cases, you'll find yourself wishing she had held back even a little more.
Zero Dark Thirty doesn't breeze through and put a big Hollywood smile on the highlights. It peels away at the layers of the CIA like an onion -- and some of those are going to make you nauseated and others will just make you outright cry. It's easy to see how some viewers would view the film as too brutal or too political. However you view it, you should just view it. It's a wonderful film.
At 157 minutes, Zero Dark Thirty may seem a little long in spots. However, the hunt for bin Laden was not quick or easy. Also know that Chastain's performance and those final 40-ish minutes (and I'm assuming you know what happens) make this film one of the most intense that you'll see this year.
Need a further debriefing about this film? Check out Joe Lozito's theatrical review of Zero Dark Thirty.
The Picture
Zero Dark Thirty is dark is every sense of the word, but that shouldn't detract one bit from your viewing experience. This 1.85:1 image is downright stellar. The black levels are definitely this release's standout. There are a lot of dark scenes in this film and the image here handles every single speck flawlessly. Even in those super-dark moments, this film has a demo-worthy amount of detail. Colors are also impressive and most notable on the contrast in Jessica Chastain's red hair and pale skintone versus -- well, just about everything here.
The Sound
The film opens with actual calls placed during the events of 9/11 against a black screen. It's heartwrenching to say the least. However, it should also clue you into what type of track this will be. That incredibly immersive, intense moment is certainly not the last in this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Of course, the film is very focused on dialogue. However, the audio is filled with impressive, surprising moments. There's a ton of atmospheric sounds, whether it's echoes or street and restaurant chatter. That said, the film packs a tremendous punch on more than one occasion, with helicopters and explosions that will get the room rumbling.
The Extras
The most surprising part of this release isn't the scenes that generated this film all of its pre-Oscars publicity, but its appalling lack of extras. The four featurettes included are incredibly short, with Jessica Chastain getting her own 5 minutes, the gear and training getting another 7, and an overall peek at the production coming in at under 4 minutes. The best of the bunch, however, is "The Compound," which offers a 10-minute walking tour of the location and sets with screenwriter Mark Boal.
Final Thoughts
Zero Dark Thirty is a near-perfect film. It's a little on the long side, which wouldn't be such a big deal if some of those moments didn't drag. Overall though, this is a fascinating film that will probably have you gripping your seat (and your stomach) throughout. Because of the subject matter, this may not be the type of film you'll want for repeat viewing. However, despite the sad collection of extras, it's worth the purchase price for the demo-quality audio and video.
Product Details
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