Going into watching the animated film Waltz with Bashir, I really didn't know what to expect. From the summary, it appeared to chronicle the journey of a former soldier rediscovering his lost memories of the 1982 Lebanon War. I had been previously aware of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is still ongoing today, but it never really struck me how much blood must have been shed on both sides, and the atrocities that must have occurred because of the conflict. You see, the soldier had been at the Sabra and Shatila massacre, but he did not recall anything of it but a single scene in which he and his comrades are bathing in the sea while flares fall upon the city. By the end, he remembers it all, and comes to understand exactly why his mind has suppressed those memories for 20 years.
Waltz with Bashir is composed of interviews, flashbacks, and dreams. It feels unreal at times, with its beautiful animation depicting scenes of vivid horror and strangeness alike, like Arabian horses dying while flies pick at them, and singing men on a "Love Boat" that soon bursts into flames and sinks to the bottom of the sea. There is a heavy sense of guilt and uncertainty that plagues both the travelling former soldier and those watching until the very end, when suddenly, the animated film is no longer 2D, but rooted in ugly reality. There is no happy ending, and war is shown in all its cruelty and insanity. Waltz with Bashir provides viewers an unfiltered experience of war, and does not make any compromises or present any false kindnesses.
I think Waltz with Bashir is well-worth the watch, but it's definitely not for everyone. It deals with uncomfortable themes and moral ambiguities, and there is no hero to root for against a villain cut out of cardboard. It just leaves you hanging with a lot of questions, and no well-defined answers. When the film's credits started rolling, I just sat back thinking, "Is this really it? It can't be, can it?" I knew that war is hell, but this film really hammered in that message for me, and now I just feel bummed out about just how horrible human beings are sometimes. After all, Bashir from the movie's title was a real person. He was the president-elect of Lebanon, but was assassinated before he could take office. In his name, the Sabra and Shatila massacre occurred, and countless innocent Palestinian civilians were killed in front of the eyes of Israeli soldiers. I am going to go to sleep tonight, and my dreams are going to be haunted by this film's scenes. Staying at home unable to go out for anything but shopping trips has been an awkward experience, but I am truly glad to have never experienced war, and I hope I never will in this lifetime.
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