By Elizabeth Grady
Promotions Editor
I remember where I was on May 1, 2011, the day Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 captured Osama bin Laden. I wondered what exactly went into finding the world’s most notorious man. “Zero Dark Thirty” gives viewers those answers and places them with the CIA team in Islamabad.
Written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, both known for their Best Picture and Director Oscar wins for “The Hurt Locker” in 2008, the film tells the story through a well-selected cast and suspenseful scenes that leave viewers forgetting it’s nearly a three-hour movie.
Jessica Chastain (“The Help”) earned her Oscar nomination for Best Actress, captivating the audience through her strong portrayal of the fresh-faced, persistent CIA agent Maya. Upon her arrival to the American embassy in Islamabad, viewers are introduced to master interrogator Dan, portrayed by Jason Clarke (“Lawless”). If you’ve never seen an interrogation scene, prepare yourself for degrading, gory scenes, as water boarding pours into the forefront of the movie. Interrogations and questioning take up a great portion of the information-gathering process and the discovery of bin Laden.
Viewers develop an attachment to the drive of the agents and feel for the danger they face living in the tumultuous Middle East in the forefront of a dangerous investigation. Maya’s bravery leads her to cling to a theory of Bin Laden’s whereabouts. The bureaucracy of planning a mission within the CIA is highlighted as Maya struggles to get top agents to take her theory on bin Laden’s location seriously.
The last 30 minutes of the film place viewers in the team’s gear and on Team 6 as they raid the infamous bin Laden compound in Pakistan. The acting and camera positioning throughout this scene give viewers a first-hand view of the fear in the eyes of the residents within the compound and the bravery exhibited by the members of Team 6.
Although this movie isn’t for the faint of heart, “Zero Dark Thirty” will captivate and educate viewers about the realm of politics involved in finding bin Laden. For those looking for mind-stimulating suspense, this is a movie for the collection.
