This 96% Fresh War Drama 'Pissed Off' Quentin Tarantino: "It Bugged the Sh*t Out of Me"

Quentin Tarantino, the creator of Pulp Fiction and a screenwriter with a cherished dream of becoming the most awarded in Oscar history, takes setbacks in this regard painfully.

One of the most unpleasant moments for him was the 2010 ceremony, where his main competitor, The Hurt Locker, won six awards, including one that Tarantino believed should have been his.

Tarantino Called 'The Hurt Locker' a Good Film, but He Was Upset That It Won the Oscar for Best Screenplay

During a conversation with Bret Easton Ellis, Tarantino bluntly stated:

“It bugged the sh*t out of me that Mark Boal won for Best Screenplay. It really, really pissed me off.”

The director emphasized that his criticism is not directed at the movie itself or Kathryn Bigelow's directing work, whom he respects:

“Look, it was exciting that a woman had made such a good war film, and it was the first movie about the Iraq War that said something. [...] It was a good movie.”

What Is 'The Hurt Locker' About?

The film is set in Baghdad in 2004. Following the death of the commander of a US Army bomb disposal team, Sergeant William James, an experienced and cool-headed specialist in the disposal of improvised explosive devices, takes his place.

His risky, almost suicidal methods and unwavering integrity quickly lead to conflict with the other team members, who are accustomed to strict discipline.

'The Hurt Locker' Was 'Inglourious Basterds' Main Competitor at the 2010 Oscars

Tarantino's conflict of interest becomes clear when examining the list of nominees from that year.

In the Best Original Screenplay category, Mark Boal's script for The Hurt Locker competed against the Coen brothers' work on A Serious Man, Tom McCarthy's Up and Tarantino's screenplay for Inglourious Basterds.

Thus, it was Bigelow's movie that deprived Tarantino of his coveted award. The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds were nominated in seven categories, but Tarantino's work won none.

While Tarantino may claim that his outrage stems from a principled assessment of the winning script's quality rather than personal defeat, the context and passion with which he speaks about it hint at a personal reason for his outrage.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Hurt Locker'?

• The Hurt Locker has 96% from critics and 84% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.5/10.

• On Letterboxd, The Hurt Locker scored 3.8/5.0.

Where to Watch 'The Hurt Locker'?

The Hurt Locker is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video.