Israeli director Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir is easily the standout film of 2008, with its surreal animation style and abrupt way of portraying such a horrific event. The event being the Sabra and Shatila massacre, in which Palestinian men, women and children were massacred by Christian Phalangists as revenge for the assassination of their leader Bashir Gemayel. The Israelis did not perpetrate the killings but did nothing to stop them, even sending flares into the night sky to assist the Phalangists.
The story follows Ari Folman, who meets a friend in a bar who tells him of the nightmares connected to his experiences from the 1982 Lebanon War. Folman is surprised to find out that he does not remember a thing from the same period. Later that night he has a vision from the night of the Sabra and Shatila massacre and does not know if it was real or not. In his memory he and his soldier friends are bathing at night at the seaside of Beirut to the light of flares descending over the city. Folman rushes off to meet another friend from his army service, who advises him to discuss it with other people who were in Beirut at the same time. The film follows Folman in his conversations with a psychologist and reporter Ron Ben-Yishai who was in Beirut at the same time.
There are a few people who need to be congratulated here for their fine efforts in bringing this amazing film to life. David Polonsky, Art Director and Illustrator, along with Director of Animation Yoni Goodman have used a unique style of animation to tell a documentary/war film which shows the futility of war boldly. Although animated, the film features graphic violence and some of the most disturbing images I have ever seen. In particular, a scene showing horses dying in the streets is unflinchingly tragic and another scene showing families being shot is beyond depressing. This movie would probably not have had the same impact if it were not animated.
The music, which features rock, Bach, Chopin, Schubert and an original score by Max Richter adds an incredible amount of depth and emotional impact to the already challenging imagery. The scene from which the title is named after, in which one of Folman's fellow comrades waltzes in the middle of gunfight, firing a heavy machine gun while surrounded by posters of Bashir, is magical as well as mystical.
Waltz with Bashir is truly a must-see film; however, it is so confronting and sad. This is necessary, though, to show the pointlessness of war and the effect it has on people. This is evident in the last seconds of the film, when real footage of the aftermath of the massacre presents dark and graphic views of corpses. You will not leave the cinema happy, but you will leave feeling the power of a piece of art you will not forget anytime soon.
5/5
The story follows Ari Folman, who meets a friend in a bar who tells him of the nightmares connected to his experiences from the 1982 Lebanon War. Folman is surprised to find out that he does not remember a thing from the same period. Later that night he has a vision from the night of the Sabra and Shatila massacre and does not know if it was real or not. In his memory he and his soldier friends are bathing at night at the seaside of Beirut to the light of flares descending over the city. Folman rushes off to meet another friend from his army service, who advises him to discuss it with other people who were in Beirut at the same time. The film follows Folman in his conversations with a psychologist and reporter Ron Ben-Yishai who was in Beirut at the same time.
There are a few people who need to be congratulated here for their fine efforts in bringing this amazing film to life. David Polonsky, Art Director and Illustrator, along with Director of Animation Yoni Goodman have used a unique style of animation to tell a documentary/war film which shows the futility of war boldly. Although animated, the film features graphic violence and some of the most disturbing images I have ever seen. In particular, a scene showing horses dying in the streets is unflinchingly tragic and another scene showing families being shot is beyond depressing. This movie would probably not have had the same impact if it were not animated.
The music, which features rock, Bach, Chopin, Schubert and an original score by Max Richter adds an incredible amount of depth and emotional impact to the already challenging imagery. The scene from which the title is named after, in which one of Folman's fellow comrades waltzes in the middle of gunfight, firing a heavy machine gun while surrounded by posters of Bashir, is magical as well as mystical.
Waltz with Bashir is truly a must-see film; however, it is so confronting and sad. This is necessary, though, to show the pointlessness of war and the effect it has on people. This is evident in the last seconds of the film, when real footage of the aftermath of the massacre presents dark and graphic views of corpses. You will not leave the cinema happy, but you will leave feeling the power of a piece of art you will not forget anytime soon.
5/5