Waltz with Bashir

Every once in a while, a film comes around that completely knocks you off your feet. Waltz with Bashir, the story of a man's exploration of his lost memories of the 1982 Lebanon War, is that film.

I firmly believe that the more complex a movie is, as long as it is in the right hands, the better it will be. The fact that Waltz with Bashir is not just a war movie is where I think its greatest power lies; it walks a tight rope, balancing between being a movie about war, a movie about survival, and a movie about memory.

I think what makes Waltz with Bashir really special is the medium in which it is done: animation. Animated films are usually, unfortunately, children's films and I think it is a waste of the medium. Because Waltz with Bashir is animated, the film is able to explore all the different memories and dreams of the different characters as vividly as desired. In fact, without animation this film would not be nearly as powerful and almost impossible to make.

I am not the biggest fan of political films because I feel that I always need a history lesson before watching them. When I first saw Waltz with Bashir when it was first released in the U.S. a couple years ago, I was completely ignorant of the 1982 Lebanon War and the Sabra and Shatila massacres and I was still able to follow the film without a hitch. This does not mean that the movie was in-your-face and redundant when discussing the historical events but rather had the references or moments trickle out for the audience until a more complete picture was formed.

Parent Watchability: Because of its subject matter, I would not advise watching it with young'uns but I do think it is a great movie that everyone should see eventually and definitely one to share with others.

Categories of Note:
Directing
Story/Originality of Story

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