Viewed: WALTZ WITH BASHIR

How many documentaries do you watch? Very less. And...how many documentaries do you watch that are animation? Perhaps, none. Waltz with Bashir walks on a rare territory of being an animated documentary about the 1982 Lebanon War and in particular about the Shabra and Shatila massacre.

Ari Folman, the director goes on a journey to retrieve his lost memory when he was a part of the Israeli army and took part in the Lebanon war. He meets a friend who has a recurring dream that reminds Folman that he remembers nothing from his 'war' past.

He talks to a close friend who advises him to meet the people who were with him at that time and thus begins a journey that depicts the horror of the war but more so of individuals who were part of the 'crazy' history, who were caught in the middle of the hatred between Lebanese Forces and Lebanese Phalangist militiamen, and the pain of being in a war.

It is the story of people who given a choice would spend their day, any time, far away from the maddening world of war but have to go through the trial and they come out of it affected for life. It highlights the terrible face of humanity and by depicting what the veterans of this war went through it shows you the futility of it all.

Three things work in a unique synergy - the action, the music and the voice-over narration. They all gel seamlessly bringing so many layers to the fore - of the hassles of the war, of helplessness in being forced to be a part of such situations, of innocent families being caught between rivalries of manic forces, of non-humans paying a price for being with them, and of scared men scarred so badly that they have forever blanked-out stuff from the head.

Once you immerse in the story, you lose track of the fact that you are watching an animation, and it goes into areas where a 'real' film would find it very tough to go. The small last segment is the only 'real' part, the actual footage of the refugee camp post the massacre, which shakes you to the core bringing the whole film to a crescendo, only...it will sink you further.

It's dark, it's messy, even though animated, some scenes are hard to watch, it is also funny but carries a forlorn tone throughout and stuns you by portraying the realities so poignantly. This one is at the very top of the war films you will ever see.


Screenplay: Ari Folman
Director: Ari Folman

Rating ****

[Max ****]


{Watched on 16th Feb, 4.30 pm show at Landmark's, Chez Artiste (on S Colorado Blvd, Denver.) The screen was around 8ft x 15 ft! It was like sitting in a big living room with a capacity of around 111.}