The Oscar-nominated film Zero Dark Thirty will likely get a wider audience than it did in theatrical release when it arrives on DVD/Blu-Ray March 19, 2013. Many who feared not having the stomach to watch the highly publicized waterboarding scenes (evidently not a completely accurate depiction) on the big screen may dare to see the film in the safety and comfort of home (with the remote poised for “mute†) to become part of the conversation about the moral questions the film poses and to witness its fascinating recreation of the events leading up to the demise of Osama Bin Laden.
The film begins post 9-11 and chronicles the perseverance of US intelligence officers, focusing on a young woman, Maya (Jessica Chastain), during the decade-long hunt for Osama Bin Laden. The film follows Maya and her colleagues over the years as they follow often-dead-end leads and attempt to extract information from terrorist suspects. It ends with the historic deadly raid of Bin Laden’s secret compound in Pakistan.
Director Katherine Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) began working on the film with writer Mark Boal when the hunt for Bin Laden was inconclusive. After Bin Laden was killed, the film was re-written using stories gathered through research and extensive interviews with the operatives involved to present a compelling recreation of the actions and human drama behind the scenes that led to the killing of the world’s most dangerous man.
“As the thriller aspects of the story unfolded, the material also raised deep moral questions about the lines that were crossed into the war on terror, and the nature of courage and persistence in a world where the normal rules don’t seem to apply,†said Bigelow.
While we all know the ending, what’s left to ponder at the film’s conclusion is what happens to the shadowy people behind the scenes, and what price they pay for their work.
