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Director: Ari Folman 

People: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ori Sivan, Yehezkel Lazarov

Release Date: 2008

Type of film: Animated

Genre: Documentary

Plot

 Ari Folman a former IDF solider meets with his old friend Boaz, who had a dream about 26 dogs chasing after him viscously. These 26 dogs were 26 dogs Boaz killed during the 1982 Lebanon war. Ari fought in the war too but can't remember anything during those times. He searches out old friends of his to put the pieces together in his memory. His former solider buddies give them their stories and recall their battles. He remembers little by little until the big pieces are put in place. He then remembers his place in the massacre during the war. Thats when the realization of what happened hits him. 

Review

I am very impressed with how this film was done. I am giving it five out of five stars. The film starts off strong with a scene of raving scary looking dogs ramping through a town and everyone moving out of their way. The dogs come to a halt by a building and are staring up at a man. This man is the main characters friend. He was recalling his dream to Ari and the dream is connected to his time in the 1982 Lebanon war. This set up what was going to be talked about the rest of the movie. Everything about this movie is an emotional rollercoaster. Many battles take place, and we witness that many of these soldiers had no clue what they were doing. As young as 19 and not even shaving yet his friends recall the horrors they saw in the war and Ari would ask if he was there. He was able to piece where he was. When I was really saddening was when Ari realized where he was during the massacre that was carried out by the Lebanese Christian Phalange. He felt guilty and he felt like he was a part of it even though he didn't kill any one there. I was very disturbed at the end when actual footage of the aftermath of the massacre was shown, this sent chills down my spine. This was crucial to the movie so that us as an audience realize the seriousness of what took place. 

Outside Review

When I was searching for a picture to use for my blog, I came across another individual's blog of the movie. The blog is written in Portuguese, so I had to translate it and put it into Microsoft Word. I really find this interesting because it's from someone's perspective who isn't from America or doesn't speak English. They aren't really analyzing it from a critical point of view, but more of generalizing what the film is about. I like how they included what songs were in the movie. They explain it well and get straight to the point and make what happened in the movie easy to understand. 

Sinopse CineMusical: Sinopse do filme "Valsa com Bashir" - Waltz with Bashir (2008)

Review in English: 

The conflict in the Middle East is not now. For decades, countries have been fighting over territorial and religious issues, resulting in major destruction and further increasing ethnic hatred and neighboring multicultural intolerance. The migration of war refugees is also a matter to be examined with great caution. The documentary-biographical film "Waltz with Bashir" (Hebrew Vals im Bashir) addresses this last issue. Former Israeli combatant and film director Ari Folman portrays one of the most troubled periods in history, marked by intense conflicts during the occupation of Israeli forces in Lebanon until the arrival in the capital Beirut in 1982, in the process of overthrowing Palestinian forces.

The assassination of Christian President Bashir Gemayel contributed to the massacre of 2,000 civilians in the cities of Sabra and Chatila, cities featured in the film.

Unlike the film commercial line, Ari Folman recounts his anguish and intense search for memories of events in animated format. Alías, "Waltz with Bashir" was the first animated documentary to be aired and nominated for five Academy Awards for best foreign film.

In different encounters with other former war fights, Folman tries to find ways to remember the invasion in which he participated through the memorial records of the interviewees. Folman's "post-war aminesia" is due to the trauma of war itself and disappears with intense work. Photos, data and insides are the only tools available and collaborating for the most surprising and shocking revelations, from the beginning to the end of the film. The title "Waltz with Bashir" has to do with a very symbolic scene among the fighters. Spectacular!

The song on the soundtrack of the film, "This Is Not A Love Song" (1983), by pil (Public Image Ltd), sung by former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon (Johnny Rotten), is a "boot" in the stomach, in a setting where the influence of punk and the clash of values were still very expressive for the time.

A tip for those who will take the entrance exam during the year: "Waltz with Bashir" is an interesting critical point of view, a bias of recent popular demonstrations in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.