Waltz with Bashir

A stunning and powerful animation documentary.

A soldier goes in search of his lost memories of the Lebanon War, in particular the 1982 massacre of Palestinian civilians in the Lebanese refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila. Triggered by the dream of one of his fellow soldiers he seeks out men he served with in order to uncover what part he played and what his previous actions were......

First off it looks extraordinary, we open with a scene of a pack of running dogs crashing through the promenade, disrupting tables and people, until they come to a building and snarl and bark impotently at the occupant within. A dream sequence naturally but it's a fantastic opening to what is an absorbing and interesting film more like an acid trip than straight documentary at times. The animation is a mixture of techniques (including memorable live footage) and allows Folman to use surreal dream sequences and flashbacks in an imaginative and innovative manner. The use of shade and delicate line work really brings the faces and figures to life.

One issue that I did have with the film was the apportioning of blame, almost, away from the Israel Army almost entirely onto the phalangelist Christians. Not to go into the historical accuracy too much especially as someone who is not overly familiar with that history that tone 'felt' false in the film, as did the the mentioning of the Holocaust. This criticism is less a fault of the film, more a personal observation. The parallel of Folman as stand in for the Israeli People who have collectively forgotten or 'repressed' their memories of the massacre is fascinating. This is an absorbing watch that will stay with you long after the credits have ended. Highly recommended.

8.5/10