For some individuals - some soldiers, some contractors - combat provides a kind of purpose and meaning beyond which all else potentially pales in comparison.

Her first full-length feature was The Loveless (1982) a biker film which Kathryn Bigelow co-directed with Monty Montgomery and featured Willem Dafoe in his first starring role. " Bigelow asked her actors to actually beat and bludgeon each other throughout the film’s all-night shoot. One critic has gone further with his criticism of Bigelow by alleging that such depictions are justifications of torture and wars.

Her films include Near Dark (1987) Point Break (1991) Strange Days (1995) The Weight of Water (2000) K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) The Hurt Locker (2008) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012). In April 2010 Bigelow was named to the Time 100 list of most influential people of the year. The Hurt Locker won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Picture won the BAFTA Award for Best Film and was nominated for the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama.