Review of Waltz with Bashir (2008) by Rob L — 18 Jan 2010

At the very end of Waltz with Bashir, the action switches from graphic format to real life footage of the Shabra and Shatila massacres and it then becomes clear why Folman chose to depict events in the way he did. The violence is like a machine gun to the gut and yet the preceding 70 minutes have been far from soft in their impact.

Incredibly inventive film making and some startling set piece scenes, not least the opening sequence involving 26 dogs, are coupled with a brilliantly judged soundtrack to provide premium film making. As a way of helping Israel come to terms with one of the grimmer moments of its past, the film is incredibly effective. The soldiers are seen as both complicit and innocent at the same time, with only the high command under a clearly identiable Ariel Sharon attracting 100% blame. The Christian Phalangists who carried out the atrocities are never portrayed individually; it's left to Israel to try and make sense of the unimaginable.