When I found out that the director of “The Hurt Locker”—a testosterone-rific movie about a team of soldiers disarming roadside bombs in Iraq—was directed by a woman, I wanted to kick myself. Not out of surprise, but because I was surprised. Why did I automatically think that only a man could direct an intense war movie filled with explosions? Nope, the film is being called an “adrenaline-soaked tour de force of suspense” and it’s all thanks to the directing genius of Kathryn Bigelow. It’s not that I think women can’t make amazing war films. Quite the contrary—I think women have a knack for tapping into raw emotions, and Bigelow creatively mixed high-octane action with emotion and personal relationships. My surprise was simply an innocent, unconscious, yet totally sexist brain fart. And I don’t think I’m the only one. Keep reading »
