Waltz with Bashir (2008)

Waltz with Bashir (2008)

An unflinching film that blends genre and form to effectively deliver its anti-war message

7.5

Movie

Australia, Belgium
Arabic, English, German
Animation, Documentary, Drama, War
2008
ARI FOLMAN
Ari Folman, Mickey Leon, Ori Sivan
90 min

What it's about

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.

The 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. 

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