6. Desert of truth

Originally, cinematographer Barry Ackroyd had wanted to shoot the film in Iraq, just across the border from the Locker's final main location in Jordan.

Sadly for Bigelow and her crew, the dangers of mines and snipes in the country meant that their security team just wouldn't allow it.

Still, the team lucked out. Having considered the likes of Mexico and Morocco and been denied access to a US military base in Kuwait, the decision to settle on Jordan brought plenty of opportunities.

"It was an incredible place to shoot the film," Bigelow told Popular Mechanics. "My feeling, of course, was to get as close to the war zone as possible.

"We were in and around the city of Amman, and at some points were within three miles of the Iraqi border. We were very close. That gave us the architecture, and the landscape enabled me to shoot 360 degrees."

Filming in the desert, of course, brought its own challenges...

Next: Tough breaks