Waltz with Bashir [Blu-ray] [2008]

There are so many good points to this film it is hard to start. Very psychological undertone which is expressed throughout the film dictating the effects of post war on memory. The animation style is breathtaking at certain points further conveying the emotional aspects of the characters. The score by Max Richter also impacts upon the scenes especially that of the dogs at the beginning! Overall, love it, watch it now.

This is a trully unforgetable movie about an Israeli soldier trying to remember the events of a fateful day in Beirut during the 1982 invasion.

Without going into the histocracity of the movie I would like to say that is not meant to be taken an historical accoint but as a personal recollection of the events.

I was very impressed with the animation with several novelties that make it stanning to watch. The soundtrack has a mixture of actors and real interviews with Israeli soldiers as well .

The human side of the story ,the futility of war ,the human cost are all perfectly reflected in the movie which also has a very moving and engaging.

Some reviewers give it one stars and call it propaganda but I feel Mr Folman made it very clear that this is not a documentary or an impartial view this is HIS OWN experience put into a film. If anything portraits the Palestinians as vicitms and the Israeli soldiers in the same way as some Vietman films show American soldiers as they walk in a Vietnamesse village and get a bit trigger happy.

Ari Folman ( director ) gives an interview about the film as an extra on the DVD where he explains his reasons for making the movie and his views on the events described in the movie.

Waltz With Bashir is a documentary charting the journey of Ari Folman as he interviews old military comrades in an attempt to jog his memory over events in Beirut during the Lebanon war.

Instead of using actual video footage, the film uses animation to bring together visual recreations of events alongside interviews with those from his past (and present). The animation style utilises different techniques to bring a unique look to the film. Classic hand drawn animation is sometimes used for rural backdrops with computer generated 3D moments during some scenes. As well as 'proper' 3D where we experience moving around the landscape there is frequent use of 2D planes to build up a sense of depth. Some parts of the film use different methods more than others, but the overall look is a blend of style to create a distinct aesthetic quality. Cityscapes and vehicles look incredible, it's perhaps best demonstrated in a scene where we see a tank navigating through city streets, crushing cars and squeezing through gaps.

The animation is fluent and not jerky, but abrupt ends to human movement remind you that they are computer generated, however they do look surprisingly realistic with their nuances and they capture the subtly of human communication well. It's almost as if the animators have studied video footage of the subjects and incorporated every little hand movement and expression change, and perhaps they did.

As Folam travels and hears first person accounts we are given a soldier's-eye-view of the war. Vague recollections seem pretty common and it's easy to see why, as the awful sights they experienced aren't the sort of thing a person likes to think about or be reminded of. The soldiers aren't even aware of their inbuilt desire to forget atrocities which could easily drive them to breakdown - the process of burying them appears to be a natural one. There are also conscious efforts made to try and distance themselves from the horrors around them. During scenes of war they try to 'get on with it' and attempt to dehumanise events. This emotional detachment helps them to deal with the loss of life.

The film doesn't seem to be judging or taking sides, it's simply giving us personal stories and this excuses it from any accusations of incorrect portrayals. The first person viewpoint really puts you there and there's a real sense that what you see is a representative depiction how the interviewee saw it. Some say that the historical accuracy of this is flimsy at best, but it doesn't matter really - this is told as a series of intimate personal stories where the individual versions of events have been warped and shaped by a subconscious desire to bury the memories.

This blu-ray package impresses visually, many of the scenes in the film consist of one colour with dark shadows and the clean transfer helps it to look moody without dampening the effect with compression articles and digital noise. The audio is crystal clear and whether you're watching a scene set in a café or a clip of destruction - every little sound can be made out. The soundtrack is reminiscent of some of the modern classic war films (such as Platoon or Full Metal Jacket) and consists of atmospheric classical numbers alongside more rock and roll ones too. The extras aren't extensive but they do cover how the animation was achieved and explore Ari Folman's personal quest to get the film made which touches on the politics behind the feature.

In a nutshell: This shouldn't be considered as a balanced documentary, artistic license is well used here and the film presents personal experiences rather than a de-facto account of events. It's not the easiest film to watch and is perhaps aware of its own self-importance but it's worth it, it concludes with a short non-animated sequence which is a shocking and powerful reminder as to why films like this need to be made.