A lot has been said about Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar nominated Zero Dark Thirty. One camp asks, how dare you suggest America uses torture? While another says, how dare you suggest that torture works?

It's not a case of left wing or right wing politics, both side of the spectrum have a problem with the film. It is worth noting, however, that a very large group also think it's brilliant, as is evidenced by its strong Oscar nomination slate. "It's part of the story," Bigelow told the BBC, defending the scenes in the film. "To omit it would have been whitewashing history." She also insisted that the film does not suggest the al-Qaeda leader would not have been located without so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques", adding that "That's a misrepresentation of the film." Some senators have criticized the film for perpetuating "the myth that torture is effective".

Bigelow not only defends the film, but also the raid, saying that it was "an incredibly diligent, incredibly complex and successful operation that brought the world's most dangerous man to justice". The film, which Bigelow describes as "a portrait of dedication, determination, commitment and sacrifice", is released in the UK and Ireland on 25 January.

Check out the trailer for Zero Dark Thirty below