Title: Waltz with Bashir
Rating (out of 100): 100
Mood: entranced, introspective, moody, “in a funk”, contemplative about life, death and inequalities around the world
Timeout / Culture Critic: http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/85858/waltz-with-bashir.html / http://www.culturecritic.co.uk/cinema/waltz-with-bashir/
(in Hebrew & Arabic with Subtitles) - I saw this movie a few months ago when it first came out in Paris. It blew my mind. Aside from the always interesting and incredibly complex subject matter of Israeli and Palestinian relations, the animation is incredibly gorgeous and the music was fantastically moody. The whole plot of a person who participated in an experience that haunts him years later so much so that he decides to investigate what occurred and his own actions in it is amazing. I do appreciate the introspectiveness of the movie (am I guilty, could I have done something else) as well as the investigation into how participating in the killings affected not only those who were killed and their families but those who perpetrated the killings (willingly or not). However, as my French is less than fluent, I am looking forward to seeing this moving with English subtitles in London to fully grasp the movie for all its glory as well as relive the awesome beauty surrounding it. It’s strange that a movie about such a sad subject can be so beautiful and moving on a purely aesthetic and musical level, but maybe because of the difficult and bloody subject matter, the artistic qualities of the movie make its subject matter easier to digest. It is emotional without completely overwhelming, except for the end sequence, the only part that is not in animation and which is indeed incredibly difficult to watch. For such a serious subject, it was a weirdly uplifting and emotionally recharging movie. I loved it and definitely cried my fair share (especially at the end). What a fantastic achievement.
Update: so I saw the movie in English last night and it was even better when I fully understood everything. The visuals and the soundtrack / songs were equally as awesome as the first time I saw / heard them. Especially the songs with lyrics (which I imagine were real songs from that time). An odd sitenote is that I have been to Lebanon and Beirut twice and walked past some Palestinian camps as well as the Hippodrome that they mention in the movie. What an incredibly beautiful (and destroyed) and complex country.
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