Lebanon (2009)

During the First Lebanon War in 1982, a lone tank and a paratroopers platoon are dispatched to search a hostile town.

Director:

Samuel Maoz

Writer:

Samuel Maoz

Stars:

Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen

14 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yoav Donat	...	Shmulik
Itay Tiran	...	Assi
Oshri Cohen	...	Hertzel
Michael Moshonov	...	Yigal
Zohar Shtrauss	...	Gamil (as Zohar Strauss)
Dudu Tassa	...	Syrian Captive
Ashraf Barhom	...	1st Phalangist (as Ashraf Barhum)
Fares Hananya	...	2nd Phalangist
Reymond Amsalem	...	Lebanese Mother (as Reymonde Amsellem)
Bian Antir	...	Lebanese Father
Aisha	...	Lebanese child
Fatima	...	Lebanese child (as Fatma)
Khaled Salam	...	Lebanese Boy (as Khaled Salama)
Iad Abu Nama	...	BMW Driver
Hussein Mahagna	...	Truck Driver

Storyline

June, 1982 - The First Lebanon War. A lone tank and a paratroopers platoon are dispatched to search a hostile town - a simple mission that turns into a nightmare. The four members of a tank crew find themselves in a violent situation that they cannot contain. Motivated by fear and the basic instinct of survival, they desperately try not to lose themselves in the chaos of war.

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Plot Keywords:

tank | tank crew | lebanon | lebanon war | female frontal nudity | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing bloody war violence, language including sexual references, and some nudity

Details

Official Sites:

CTV International [fr] Official site

Country:

Israel France Germany

Language:

Hebrew Arabic French English

Release Date:

15 October 2009 (Israel)

Also Known As:

Líbano

Filming Locations:

Israel

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$17,145 (USA) (6 August 2010)

Gross:

$367,798 (USA) (17 December 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ariel Films, Arsam International, Arte France

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rejected for submission at both the Berlin and Cannes International Film Festival. The film went on to win the Golden Lion at Venice.

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Goofs

The car in the courtyard next to the pile of clothes that the woman falls into has a number plate that was introduced in Lebanon in the 90s.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The A-Team/The Karate Kid/Winter's Bone (2010)

User Reviews

Potent, claustrophobic depiction of war inside a tank

Lebanon is based on director Samuel Maoz's own experiences as a soldier in the 1982 Israel- Lebanon conflict. The film focuses exclusively on the experiences of the four young Israelis that are responsible for operating a tank that rolls into Lebanese territory at the start of the war.

For almost the entire duration, the characters and the audience are trapped inside the vehicle; we can see only what they can externally through the narrow tunnel vision of a gun turret periscope. With no wider political context and little character background, this viewpoint successfully creates a claustrophobic, tense atmosphere and provides originality and intrigue to what might have been overlooked as 'another war film'.

The soldiers, confined to the tank, are inexperienced, tired, hungry, thirsty, scared, homesick, dirty, feverish and unable to work competently as a team. In the opening scene, their collective callowness leads to the deaths of a fellow soldier and an innocent civilian. From here, difficulty after difficulty presents itself in the form of hostile forces, indignant superior officers, technological issues and internal disputes.

The way the characters respond, the powerful use of imagery - and the contrast between the constant mechanical noise and darkness inside the tank, and the bright environment and varied action outside - combine to shape a potent viewing experience.