America 250th! A Look Back at “Zero Dark Thirty”

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden became one of the most wanted men on the planet. The worldwide manhunt for the terrorist leader occupies the resources and attention of two US presidential administrations. 

Ultimately, it is the work of a dedicated female operative that provides instrumental in finally locating bin Laden. In May 2011, Navy SEALs launched a nighttime strike, killing bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

The 2013 film “Zero Dark Thirty” delivers unflinching realism, methodical, tension-building storytelling, and an amazing performance from lead actress Jessica Chastain. Despite viewers knowing the real life outcome, the final 40 minute raid on bin Laden’s compound is still one of the most truly gripping, masterfully executed sequences ever.

While the tense Navy SEAL raid at the end can be quite gripping, the film’s long, methodical first half is what actually anchors the entire viewing experience. Instead of turning the hunt for bin Laden into a huge explosion-filled spectacle, the filmmakers treated it like a dark, exhausting detective story in a way.

One thing about the film that I really enjoyed is that the film didn’t sugarcoat intelligence work. “Zero Dark Thirty” showed it for what it largely is: a crushing, unglamorous grind of cross referencing messy data, chasing down numerous dead ends and enduring years of bureaucratic integration.

Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of Maya is also a major highlight of this film. Throughout the film she is completely defined by her work and it’s really fascinating to watch her evolve from a visibly uncomfortable bystander during the early torture scenes into a heartened, cold and single-minded force of nature who refuses to let the agency give up on the lead.

While “Zero Dark Thirty” delivers some really memorable moments, one of the most memorable sequences actually starts before a single frame of film is shown. This moment forces the viewing audience to see a dark screen while playing a montage of real world 9/11 emergency phone calls and radio transmissions. It’s a bold, deeply unsettling artistic choice and it works as it grounds the entire narrative in a somber reality before the hunt begins.

This film also garnered a good amount of controversy on its graphic portrayal of “enhanced interrogation techniques.” The film suggests that torture and coercive interrogations yielded the critical clues necessary to locate bin Laden, a narrative that sparked intense debates regarding historical accuracy, torture justification, and political propaganda.

Overall response for “Zero Dark Thirty” is generally positive with viewers widely praising the film for its tense atmosphere and realistic, procedural depiction of the decade-long hunt for bin Laden.

This film is a compelling watch for the 250th anniversary because it captures the intense dedication of post-9/11 America. It highlights the relentless pursuit of justice and showcases the nation’s capacity to rally together, while prompting reflection on the moral complexities of modern warfare.

MPA: Rated R for strong violence including brutal disturbing images, and for language   (runtime 157 minutes)

Initial release date: January 11, 2013 (had a limited release in December 2012)

Streaming: Hulu/various PVOD services   (as of writing this review)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJFra3B9sbA

• The movie was originally about the unsuccessful decade-long manhunt for Osama bin Laden. The screenplay was completely re-written after bin Laden was killed.

• The climactic sequence devoted to the raid on Osama's compound runs about 25 minutes, only a few minutes less than the real-life SEALs assault.

• Originally conceived as a project about the battle of Tora Bora, Mark Boal completely re-wrote the script after Osama bin Laden was shot and killed. It took him five months and he was not paid for the re-write.

• The man who killed bin Laden, Robert O'Neill, wrote in his autobiography "The Operator" that the real-life CIA operative that Jessica Chastain portrays was the bravest woman he has ever met.

• The appearance of the actual stealth helicopters used on the bin Laden raid is still highly classified. The production designers extrapolated their design based on a single photograph of the tail section of the destroyed copter that was left behind in Pakistan, as well as images of other stealth aircraft. They then created full-size practical mock-ups, as well as CGI models of copters. Several consultants who had seen the actual helicopters commented that the mock-ups were pretty close to the real thing.