This is the story of an israeli soldier, the filmmaker, who has dissociative memories of being a part of the Lebanon invasion at 19.He can't recall most of the massacre of the two refugee camps, Sabra and Shatila, not even if he was there at all. It's a remarkable movie - disgusting for what people do during an occupation to escape the reality of their role in it.
It's a terrific psychological effort to remember what he couldn't handle, esp since conscription into the army is forced on israeli civilians, but even more amazing to animate the entire historical sequence.
As one angry critic says - he had no right to the story - the suffering of those 'others'. I have to agree to that point - my sympathy was not with Ari for the telling.
Ari Foreman, who's parents survived Auschwitz, is himself drawn to the parallels of his role with that of the Nazis. That understanding alone is worth watching the entire movie for. At last, an Israeli admitting to treating Palestines like Nazis treated the Jews in the death camps!! Praise Yahweh that it is finally acknowledged openly on film(sarcasm)!
To me, the unacceptable part of Waltz with Bashir is how even when he's doing his unemotive soul-search to understand his role (how very self-centered and crazy for a career soldier of 22 yrs with the israeli army), he eventually settles on the Christian Lebanese militia (Phalangists) to blame for the actual massacres. The someone-worse-than-me escape is always available - as with the germans, so with the jews, Ari. Grow up already, Israelis! Get real about your actions - at least now! It's been 60 yrs of your misbegotten rule.:(
1 comment:
This is a country not many can discuss about and their army is taboo
"Get real about your actions - at least now! It's been 60 yrs of your misbegotten rule.:("
i like your spirit of advice as stern as a matron.
U are well read.
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