‘Hurt Locker’s’ Paul N.J. Ottosson layered explosive drama with silent tension

Sound editing

“The Hurt Locker”

Paul N.J. Ottosson

For a film built on often-wordless tension as the bomb squad dismantled ticking explosives, the sound in “The Hurt Locker” could not be an afterthought. From the ambient drone of wind blowing through the desert to the dripping-in-your-ear cold sweat, winning sound editor Paul N.J. Ottosson designed a layered soundscape to heighten the suspense of Kathryn Bigelow’s white-knuckle action film.

To place more stress points on an already loaded film required a delicate, thoughtful touch. “The most important part was to put you as a viewer into being the fourth man on the team and always being with the guy we’re with,” Ottosson explained backstage. “We really [thought] about every shot in the movie instead of making something flashy and cool.”