Other notable Hollywood films "All the President's Men, " "The Deer Hunter" have been topical, timely and in their day controversial.

WSJ: The Weekend Interview with Mark Boal: The Art and Politics of 'Zero Dark Thirty'

And, if you'll recall, "The Deer Hunter" was also rewarded by the Motion Picture Academy -- as the best picture of the year.

CNN: Review: Weekend's lead player -- violence

"In the Valley of Elah" -- the name comes from the locale of David's battle against Goliath -- is not a great film, but its acute sense of anguish and betrayal may resonate in the same way that 1978's "The Deer Hunter" did 30 years ago.

CNN: Review: Weekend's lead player -- violence