30. THE HURT LOCKER
 
United States
dir. Kathryn Bigelow
world premiere 2008
U.S. release 2009
 

 
Because Bigelow has been a dazzling orchestrator of action and lightstorm for her whole career, but folks finally sat up and noticed her much-needed, ground-level view of American soldiering, of their dangers and head rushes and their contemplations of their lot, and of each other. The images of thought are as galvanizing as the images of threat.