Today, I chose a foreign film called Waltz with Bashir, directed by Ari Folman. The first noticeable and noteworthy trait, although it could be inferred from the cover art, is that the film is animated. Check all preconceptions of animated films at the door before watching this one. Folman proves that animation is not just for children. Through vivid color choice, different animation styles, transitions and flashbacks, he proves that it is an art form.(Quick side note: Under Languages in the DVD menu, you are given a couple of options. Since it is a foreign film, it is in Hebrew. I chose Hebrew audio with English subtitles because well...I don't understand a word of Hebrew. But, I didn't want to Americanize it and I wanted to hear the music of the language. I strongly suggest you do the same to get the full effect, because the fact that it's in Hebrew is a unique selling point. It's worth reading the words at the bottom to completely immerse yourself in order to comprehend everything happening.)
After he meets with an old friend, who had been haunted by the same dream for the last 20 years, Ari tries to revisit his experiences with the First Lebanon War. He cannot remember a thing, with the exception of one scene that plays over and over like a broken record. He rises from the water on the shores of Beirut and begins walking through the city. Before long, a mob of hysterical people push past him, and his memory fades out. With a bit of digging, he jumps from interview to interview, trying to uncover the truth of what happened in Beirut and why he cannot recall his past.
A preconceived notion I had that cartoon-like characters could not convey emotion the way a human face does was quickly dashed. The animators were able to bring heartbreak and pain into Ari's ice blue eyes as he remembers his terrible past. Except, his eyes did not become like big, sad puppy eyes. One thought of human eyes, holding back tears and clearly struggling to keep his composure. This factor made him more interesting to watch. The animators kept a sense of humanity to the comic-style movie, which was pure genius.
I loved the blending of animation and documentary into one. Being familiar with documentaries, sometimes watching a person sit and recount their experiences can become dry. Folman took each interview and personalized it. When someone would talk of a story, that vivid recount came to life in front of the viewer's eyes. An experience or traumatic event that only one person witnessed was reinterpreted, in an animated way, to capture the emotions running through each interviewee's mind. By doing this, the viewer received a better understanding of the situation. I thought it was an absolutely brilliant way to carry out a documentary.
The music Folman included with each scene indicated the mood and how the viewer was supposed to feel. The styles ranged from an intense and suspenseful beat, which could be associated with someone like 007, to a calm tempo like that of the waltz or ballet. Folman created many different atmospheres within his own mind and the mind of the many he interviewed. By expressing opinions through the music, Folman was able to display an entire feeling about a certain action, rather than simply showing what happened. Suspenseful music naturally triggers one to become nervous. Sitting on the edge of one's seat and waiting for something big to happen. The use of the waltz music blew my mind because the scenario was so dismal. By taking a backdrop where people are dying left and right and dropping in a cheery waltz tune, a scary product is made. It shows just how relaxed men became about killing innocent people, perhaps the biggest point of the doc.
Two recountings that really stood out in my mind are those from Ari's own mind: sitting in the taxi and in the airport. When he is sitting in the taxi, his war memories begin rushing back to him, flooding his mind with horrific images. The viewer knows as soon as he remembers because the everyday background outside of the taxi shifts to a battlefield seamlessly. With that image, the viewer is transported from everyday life into the past in the blink of an eye. The same goes for the airport. He recalls only good feelings, like those of being on a vacation. His mind works at the same speed as the animation. While staring out of a large window, he remembers why he was there, and everything changes. The airplane, which was once bright and ready to fly, turned to a flaming hunk of metal. Although frightening, the ability to crawl into Ari's mind as well as those he interviewed makes this doc unique.
Seeing animated versions of normal, upstanding buildings crumble before your eyes is only a fraction of how appalling the real story was. Incorporating real footage at the end of the doc was icing on top of the cake, adding that necessary element of realism. At times, I found my mind drifting between reality and fantasy. I knew that all of the circumstances were real, but the animation added something extra. It almost padded the bad by bringing the mind to a cartoon environment, making it easier to stomach than if it was all live-action. Because of this feeling, the ending sequence hit home harder.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this film. However, if you are strictly a lover of romantic comedies or lighthearted fare...this may not be for you. Expect to trace various plot lines, following Folman as he attempts to get to the root of his memory problem.
Out of four, I give it:
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