Zero Dark Thirty
When you hear, Zero Dark Thirty, what comes to mind? What possibly would? It seems to be a few random words. Or that’s what you’d think it is, until you watch this:
What you just saw is the first look at what could be the most controversial movie of the year, and years to come for that matter. Zero Dark Thirty is the story behind the story, the dramatization of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. Oh, and as far as the meaning of Zero Dark Thirty, according to director Kathryn Bigelow, “It’s a military term for 30 minutes after midnight, and it refers also to the darkness and secrecy that cloaked the entire decade long mission.” Bigelow alludes to the theme of secrecy throughout the film with the black lines commonly seen in redacted government documents.
But what does it all mean? Bigelow insists that her movie has no political agenda. In fact, the President of the United States has been left out of the film entirely. To Bigelow, this film is for the unsung heroes who worked tirelessly to take down Bin Laden. Aside from that, little else is known about the film. In all fairness, it’s not set to come out until Dec 19, so we’ll have to wait, with our American flags draped around our shoulders, for now at least.
If you ask me, there’s no way this movie cannot be the biggest film of the year. We all know that the man behind 9/11 is dead, but no one knows anything about it other than the fact that it happened. Zero Dark Thirty gives us the first and only in-depth look behind the scenes of the biggest manhunt in history. Could this be the first time we see pictures of a now deceased Bin Laden? Could the names and likenesses of Seal Team 6 be made public? Probably not.
Let’s be honest, it’s just a dramatization, aside from the fact that the publication of that kind of information would put quite a few heroes in immediate jeopardy. But beyond the truth, this is the story of the year and then some, and to not tell it would be the biggest loss to cinema since John Carter. (Too soon?) This will prove to be a fresh story without the politics that would surely bring down the tempo of even the best films made about killing Osama Bin Laden. It’s new, it’s easy to see, and if anything, you owe it to your fellow countrymen to spend the money on something based entirely off of true (and almost certainly awesome) events.
I love my country, and I love film. The announcement of this film could not make me any happier. Expect the nation to get awfully patriotic in the days leading up to the December 19th release date. I’ll proudly be right at the front of that line, and so should you. Don’t forget to thank a veteran for their service; you’ll never fully understand the sacrifices they’ve made for our nation. A little glory goes a long way.
