Film Review: Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

(Fig 1, Movie Poster)

'Waltz with Bashir' (2008) is an autobiographical film written, directed and starring Ari Folman. The film is not necessarily about Folman's experiences alone but those who were also involved in the 1982 Lebanon war. Folman witnessed  the Sabra and Shatila massacre, however has no memory of the event. He then is  determined to find out what happens and visits old friends and those who may have known him. 

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"Ari Folman's beautiful and horrifying account of the first Lebanon War of 1982 as experienced by his younger self... a particular memory Folman believed he had lost but was actually lying in wait" ( Quinn, 2008) Folman was 19 years old during the war, in the film it seems that he doesn't have amnesia but has repressed his memories. This film acts as a journey for Folman, but at the same time promoting anti-war and showing the impact of war. This film despite its message and meaning was banned in Lebanon, however this hasn't stopped people from viewing it. In 2009, Monika Borgmann had a private screening of the film, "People were really touched by the movie," said Borgmann, "I think it's important to see this film. The massacre of Sabra and Shatila is a common history for Lebanon, the Palestinians and Israelis." (Child, 2009)

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This film tackles a topic that is not an easy one to talk about let alone make a film about. The whole film is made using 2D animation, "Flash is a well-known tool but doesn’t usually come to mind as a way to animate an entire feature film. But that’s what director Ari Folman did, constrained by a tiny budget but certain that animation was the only way to tell his story." (Kaufman, 2008) When talking about topics such as war it can be difficult to watch, especially when there is graphic imagery. The use of animation allows Folman to tell his story the way he wants without as many limitations as live action. For example, when Folman visits one of his old friend's, they describe their hallucination which seems more suited to animation because as mentioned they wouldn't be as limited. Ebert reiterates this point, "The freedom of animation allows him to visualize what they tell him -- even their nightmares." (Ebert, 2009)

(Fig 4, Movie still)

Although, Folman used animation that allowed him to tell his graphic story, the ending is surprising to say the least. The audience goes from Folman's vision being completely animated to quickly cutting to real footage of the massacre. The animation acts as a layer from the full picture, at the end Folman pulls this away and reveals the whole truth. Animation made telling this story more palatable for audiences, however this is meant to show what really happened without disrespecting those who lost their lives. "Finally, the film puts him right at the scene of the crime, and there is a bold shift from animation to TV news footage." (Bradshaw, 2008) 

Illustration List: 

Fig 1, Movie Poster: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185616/

Fig 2, Movie Still: https://thefilmstage.com/news/explore-the-ethics-of-waltz-with-bashir-in-a-new-video-essay/
Fig 3, Movie Still: http://www.lagosfilmsociety.org/2017/09/19/history-memory-and-identity-ari-folmans-waltz-with-bashir/

Fig 4, Movie Still: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgmjH1XbqXM

Bibliography: 

Bradshaw, P. (2008). Film review: Waltz With Bashir. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/nov/21/waltz-with-bashir-folman [Accessed 31 Jan. 2019].

Child, B. (2009). Waltz With Bashir shown in Beirut. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jan/27/waltz-with-bashir-beirut [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].

Ebert, R. (2009). Waltz with Bashir Movie Review (2009) | Roger Ebert. [online] Rogerebert.com. Available at: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/waltz-with-bashir-2009 [Accessed 31 Jan. 2019].

Kaufman, D. (2008). How They Did It: Waltz With Bashir - Studio Daily. [online] Studio Daily. Available at: http://www.studiodaily.com/2008/12/how-they-did-it-waltz-with-bashir/ [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].

Quinn, A. (2008). Waltz With Bashir (18). [online] The Independent. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/waltz-with-bashir-18-1027847.html [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].