Juls Nicholl-Stimpson on Zero Dark Thirty’s hunt for Oscar.
Zero Dark Thirty poetically portrays the trauma spanning over two decades of the American-Iraqi war. It tells the horrific story of the war, the loss of loved ones and the inevitable capture of Osama Bin-Laden; the most sought after war criminal in the world.
Directed by Kateryn Bigelow, this is 157 minutes of pure action – we all knew the ending but this depiction of the S.E.A.L teams journey towards the ultimate capture of the world’s most notorious terrorist is intensely captivating. The film centres around CIA operative Maya, played by Jessica Chastain, who provides a chilling insight into this high-profile undercover work style through her persistence and intellect.
The concept for the film was realised over a decade ago with the bombing of the twin towers in 2001 following the journey towards Bin Laden’s apprehension. The film has created wide spread controversy due to the portrayal of suspects subjected to torture. It has also raised the question, whether or not there was a false representation of the use of torture as a key method in obtaining information on Bin Laden’s whereabouts and acquaintances.
Zero Dark Thirty has received nominations for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress – Jessica Chastain and Best Original Screenplay; four Golden Globe nominations, Best Picture, Actress -Jessica Chastain (She won), Original Screenplay, Film Editing and Sound Editing.
Juls Nicholl-Stimpson