Review of Waltz with Bashir (2008) by Gareth M — 05 Dec 2009

The term 'animated documentary' initially sounds like an oxymoron, but in reality this is an inspired approach to bring the material to life. After the nightmares suffered by a friend causes film-maker Ari Folman to experience flashbacks of his time serving in the Lebanon War at the age of 19, he sets out to speak with his former comrades in an attempt to uncover his suppressed memories of the time, specifically of a massacre he was present for. Starting with a vision of himself and two others emerging from the sea at a ravaged city, Folman travels to meet others to conduct interviews and piece together events.

Both Folman's and others stories are re-created in a fluid animation style that is entrancing in its own right, but proves far more effective than any other techniques available. The documentary standards of dramatisations and re-enactments would only serve to detract from the reality of the situation, whilst the creative art style serves to highlight the emotional impact of the terror and horrors faced by the young troops in each of their testimonials.

Brutal and confronting, Waltz With Bashir is a hypnotic experience that ties this one conflict with man kinds actions in the past and the impact on current generations. It emphasises the importance of film as a record of human history whatever the presentation and remains one of the best documentary films ever produced. Its closing scenes will haunt viewers for a long, long time after they leave their seats.