Our take
In Waltz with Bashir, director Ari Folman grapples with the trauma and dehumanization of war by examining the role he played in the 1982 Invasion of Lebanon. But his memories are fractured, so in an attempt to piece them back together, he visits his comrades and has them recall the events for him. The result is both poignant and painful, a horrific tell-all of what happens on both sides of the battleground. The film is a documentary, chillingly honest and straightforward, but it’s also an animation gem that continues the legacy that Persepolis started and Flee continues. By combining the harshness of war with the lightness of animation, all three films effectively deliver their anti-war message with a much-needed human and personal touch.
What it won
Oscars
1 nom
Cannes
1 nom
Golden Globes
1 win
BAFTA
2 noms
DGA
1 nom
WGA
1 nom
Nat. Board of Review
1 nom
NYFCC
2 noms
LAFCA
2 noms
European Film Awards
1 win · 3 noms
César Awards
1 nom
The story
An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.
Elsewhere
"A movie so unusual that it overflows any box in which you try to contain it."
— Anthony Lane
"Its fluid boundary between the real and surreal lifts it into the realm of myth."
— David Edelstein
The details
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She's also seen You've Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it's one of the greatest films out there.
