Libanon (2009)

Libanon (2009). Libanon: Directed by Samuel Maoz. With Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov. During the First Lebanon War in 1982, a lone tank and a paratroopers platoon are dispatched to search a hostile town.

“The film presents a concentrated and specific indictment of war through presenting innocent and unwilling young men who are unquestionably brave under fire, but virtually helpless in a dicey and deteriorating situation. Such an anti-war arc is more effectively used in Bernard Wickiu0026#39;s extraordinary 1959 German anti-war film Die Brucke, also about a doomed squad of young men, because the latter provides fuller backstories for each man. Maozu0026#39;s young actors are vivid and believable. Shmulik (Yuav Donat), Assi (Itay Tiran), Hertzel (Oshri Cohen) and Yigal (Michael Moshonov), the crew; Jamil (Zohar Staruss), their arrogant (and hitherto unfamiliar) superior officer; or their Syrian captive (Dudu Tassa); and the several others are all good. But they only appear to us in the tank as the operation begins; it all takes place in a few hours, and there is no time to provide back-stories; they are appealing but somewhat generic.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDespite his personal experience (25 years ago) in the 1982 war, some of Maozu0026#39;s writing falls prey to clichés of the oversensitive rookie, the brusque superior officer, the insistence of bodily needs, and so on. A lot of the dialogue seems stagy, even though this staging trumps anything you could do in a theater.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026#39;Lebanonu0026#39; is nonetheless a superb piece of film-making and no mere tour de force, because it all takes place within a tank, but DP Giora Bejach, as Maoz puts it, was u0026quot;two photographers,u0026quot; depicting the events inside but also shooting through the tanku0026#39;s sights so we see the world outside as the crew sees it, including several devastating scenes in which Lebanese civilians are ravaged, humiliated and killed — in particular a mother (Raymonde Ansellem) keening over her dead little daughter whose dress catches fire, leaving her naked. This is far more shocking than any of the provocations in Lars von Trieru0026#39;s u0026#39;Antichrist,u0026#39; which seem contrived and calculated in comparison. Lebanon is very fine in its resolution of the problem of the claustrophobic setting. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film exposes the Israeli violation of international law. The tank crew is told that a town has been bombed, and their job is to accompany troops who are going in to wipe out anyone left alive in it. The commander repeatedly orders the bomber to use white phosphorus bombs, but says theyu0026#39;re illegal so they will call them u0026quot;flaming smoke.u0026quot; u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAction in the tank is specific and compelling. These guys are little more than boys. The newest member is the gunner. He admits heu0026#39;s shot only at u0026quot;barrelsu0026quot; before this, and when the time comes to shoot, he canu0026#39;t pull the trigger, with disastrous results. What happens when youu0026#39;re in a tank and canu0026#39;t leave it, but it becomes disabled in enemy territory? In u0026#39;Lebanonu0026#39; you find out.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI differ with Derek Elleyu0026#39;s view (in VARIETY) that this film is superior to u0026#39;Beaufortu0026#39; and u0026#39;Waltz with Bashir.u0026#39; Both provide a a larger context on the war; the u0026quot;visceralu0026quot; vividness of the young menu0026#39;s experience doesnu0026#39;t compensate for this lack. Iu0026#39;m also surprised VARIETY says this film u0026quot;has the least to do with Lebanon per se,u0026quot; and u0026quot;could be set in any tank, any country.u0026quot; Mr. Elley seems to have forgotten about the Lebanese civilians as well as Arabic-speaking u0026quot;terroristsu0026quot; (the IDF term for the enemy) who are very vividly seen in this film, and not in the two others, both of which, however, are excellent films. Theyu0026#39;re all good, and all have severe shortcomings as views of the Lebanese war.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMaoz won the Golden Lion in Venice for this directorial debut. Sony will distribute the film in the US. Seen as a part of the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center 2009.”