WALTZ WITH BASHIR

Waltz with Bashir

Waltz With Bashir

Introduction

This Israeli film was one of the nominees for the Golden Palm at Cannes Film Festival 2008. Waltz with Bashir is an animated documentary about the conflict that existed between Israel and Lebanon at the early 80's. Director Ari Folman, who also wrote the screenplay for this remarkable war film, has been awarded several prizes for the film and two previous works in his homeland, Israel. However, the film allows Folman talking to other soldiers in the war, which included the famous Sabra and Shatila. However, beyond labels, and more than a little trick sounds which is promotional than anything else, it is clear that "Waltz with Bashir" stands as an almost unique work (Schilling, 2008).

The documentary is about the slaughter which occurred in 1982 in Sabra and Shatila (Lebanon) against Palestinian refugees. Folman, who participated in missions on behalf of Israeli army in Lebanon cannot remember much about that stage of his life. For this reason, Folman decides to investigate by asking friends and former colleagues of war to discover that what happened at that time. The whole film is about a man, who is trying to recall the memories of the war in which he participated. For this reason, he turned to old friends, soldiers, and various other people to inquire about the war. The investigation is not just limited to the investigation about the war, but also about the aftermath of war. Investigation is significant to the Ari Folman in the film because he thought that he may have witnessed more horrifying aspect of war. One night at a bar, an old friend, tells Ari, that he has a recurring nightmare in which he chased by 26 vicious dogs. The two men conclude that, this dream is because of a mission he has to perform for the Israeli army during the first war with Lebanon in the early eighties. Ari was surprised for not remembering that period of his life. Intrigued, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world for inquring the truth about the period and the incident he had witnessed. Ari delves more, and his memory begins to creep up in surreal images.

Cinematography

The picture is good, as it is made with the combination of flash software and animation. The trick lies in the sound editing, in an excellent Dolby Digital 5.1, in both, the dubbed version and the original in Hebrew. The film is very important as it accompanies the images, and the music of Max Richter, with insistent electronic tone, which produce intended finest unrest. Folman is using animation to present his documentary that is why, there is something dreamlike quality to the look of the animation by illustrator David Polonsky and animation director Yoni Goodman. From this perspective, the buildings looked in Israel, the Netherlands, and in Beirut circa-1982 to the design of the characters. Folman's direction is very entrancing in its composition and the way he moves the camera around ...