Movie Review - Waltz with Bashir

Oh dude. DEFINITELY watch.

The movie is about the 1982 invasion of Lebanon by Israel; it is well worth reading a little bit about the history of the first Lebanon war before you see the movie, although it is by no means a must.

The movie is basically about an ex-Israeli soldier trying to recall the events of, and his role in the war; he goes and talks to his friends from the past, people who had been participants in various aspects of the war. The whole movie is shot in documentary style, and flits between the interviews/conversations and dramatizations of the events, either perceived or real, leading up to its riveting, DEVASTATING finale.

First: the movie is animated. Its raw, the way they chose to do their animation; which will be apparent right from the very first scene. Second: watch out for the musical score. It is incredibly good. Also, watch out for the macabre comedy during some of the war scenes. The entire movie is in Hebrew, and you have to work with subtitles. It sags just a wee bit in the middle, but all of that is excusable. The unvarnished portrayal of real events in the war and the responses of soldiers to those events, the way you will see in this movie is something that I don't recall having seen in quite a while...

I am not ashamed to say that I cried so hard at the end, I lost one of my contact lenses. This is one hell of a movie. Just don't expect to feel good at the end.