Director Kathryn Bigelow defends ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ torture scenes

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Director Kathryn Bigelow is defending torture scenes in “Zero Dark Thirty,” saying the U.S. military hunt for Osama bin Laden wasn’t free of moral consequences.

The best picture Oscar-nominated film opens by declaring it is based on firsthand accounts of actual events.

Some lawmakers have criticized the film as misleading for suggesting torture led to bin Laden’s location.

But Bigelow writes in the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that torture was part of the story and the backlash may be misdirected.

Bigelow says critics should perhaps direct their anger at those who ordered U.S. torture policies instead.

Bigelow says it seems illogical to make a case against torture by denying the role it played in counter-terrorism policy and practices.