The mise en scene in Hurt Locker immediately depicts the movie as one which is full of action and violence. Firstly, there are characters in recognisable army uniforms which indicate that the movie is based in a war zone. Not only the uniforms, but the tanks and heavy machinery; such as snipers and machine guns, confirm this as they are not exactly things we see in our homes or in our roads on a daily basis. The surroundings are clearly hot and dry as there is a sandy, desert ground which suggests extreme heat which also suggests the characters will be irritable as they have to wear heavy, dark camouflage uniforms and stand out in broad, hostile sunlight. The buildings we see suggest that the movie is based in a middle Eastern war zone as the buildings are derelict and crumbling. The locals are also wearing realistic Islamic clothing; such as burkas, which increase the authenticity of the scene. Everything placed in this scene from artillery to the surroundings depict this movie as an action movie. The war zone is realistic with the large amounts of weaponry and tanks as well as the characters which are all very serious which increase the tense atmosphere.
