Waltz with Bashir

Theatrical Release Date: 2008 12 26 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 043396289932

Studio: Sony Pictures

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Brief Nudity, War Violence, Children in Peril]

Summary: Director Ari Folman's animated, quasi-documentary Waltz With Bashir follows the filmmaker's emotional attempt to decipher the horrors that unfolded one night in September of 1982, when Christian militia members massacred more than 3,000 Palestinian refugees in the heart of Beirut as Israeli soldiers surrounded the area. Folman was one of those soldiers, but nearly 20 years after the fact, his memories of that night remain particularly hazy. After hearing an old friend recall a vivid nightmare in which he is pursued by 26 ferocious dogs, Folman and his friend conclude that the dream must somehow relate to that fateful mission during the first Lebanon War. When Folman realizes that his recollections regarding that period in his life seem to have somehow been wiped clean, he travels the world to interview old friends and fellow soldiers from the war. Later, as Folman's memory begins to emerge in a series of surreal images, he begins to uncover a truth about himself that will haunt him for the rest of his days. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Avant-garde / Exp

Awards: Best Foreign Language Film – Utah Film Critics Best Foreign Language Film – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Documentary – Utah Film Critics In Competition – Cannes Film Festival Film Presented – Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Film Presented – Melbourne International Film Festival Film Presented – New York Film Festival Film Presented – Toronto International Film Festival Film Presented – London Film Festival Best Foreign Language Film – National Board of Review Film Presented – AFI Fest Best Documentary – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Animation – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Picture – National Society of Film Critics IDA Feature Documentary Award – International Documentary Association Best Documentary Screenplay – Writers Guild of America Best Foreign Language Film – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Foreign Language Film – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Animated Feature – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Foreign Language Film – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Presented – AFI Fest Film Presented – Palm Springs International Film Festival Best Foreign Language Film – London Film Critics Association

Features: Commentary with director Ari Folman
Surreal soldiers: making Waltz with Bashir
Q&A with Ari Folman
Building the scenes-animatics

Waltz with Bashir

Format: DVD

Release Date: 06/23/2009

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Alternate Wide Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 90 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Waltz with Bashir
1. Scene 1 [4:25]
2. Scene 2 [2:52]
3. Scene 3 [2:42]
4. Scene 4 [2:05]
5. Scene 5 [3:04]
6. Scene 6 [4:20]
7. Scene 7 [2:45]
8. Scene 8 [4:23]
9. Scene 9 [4:13]
10. Scene 10 [4:08]
11. Scene 11 [2:23]
12. Scene 12 [2:43]
13. Scene 13 [1:02]
14. Scene 14 [3:07]
15. Scene 15 [2:39]
16. Scene 16 [2:41]
17. Scene 17 [2:35]
18. Scene 18 [3:28]
19. Scene 19 [2:24]
20. Scene 20 [2:45]
21. Scene 21 [:57]
22. Scene 22 [2:22]
23. Scene 23 [3:05]
24. Scene 24 [3:17]
25. Scene 25 [2:33]
26. Scene 26 [3:52]
27. Scene 27 [3:47]
28. Scene 28 [9:28]

Jason Buchanan

If anyone still harbors doubts as to whether animation can be used to tell a serious-minded story and not simply to entertain children on a Saturday morning, that questioning soul need look no further than Waltz With Bashir to witness just how effective the medium can be at dealing with mature issues with sincerity and reverence. Even if a soldier manages to avoid getting physically wounded in war, no one returns form the battlefield unscathed, and when filmmaker Ari Folman attempts to help a fellow veteran of the Lebanon War discover the hidden meaning of a recurring nightmare, he begins questioning the fact that the war seems to have had no discernible effect on him psychologically. But it has, and as his quest to help a friend find meaning in the abstract commences, Folman discovers that some memories can be so dark that it takes the light of reflection to illuminate them. Over two decades after the first Lebanon War, an old friend of Folman's summons the filmmaker to a bar to discuss a recurring nightmare in which a pack of 26 vicious dogs sits snarling outside of his window, awaiting the perfect opportunity to strike. Eventually, the two men conclude that the nightmare has something to do with the Israeli mission during the war. Until this night, Folman always thought that he had managed to elude any such lingering trauma. Shortly after leaving the bar, however, he begins experiencing a strange vision in which he and two other soldiers emerge from the sea and walk into Lebanon, where a mob of screaming Palestinians begins to flood the streets. But Folman has no memory of the actual events that took place that day, only a fleeting vision that could possibly be related to the Sabra and Shatila massacre, where Christian Phalangists systematically slaughtered 2,000 Palestinians while their refugee camps were under control of the Israeli army. Folman has no memory of the actual massacre, so in order to get some answers he begins tracking down some of his old army friends. Piece by piece, the mystery begins to come together, prompting Folman to realize just what he had witnessed on that awful, fateful day. Despite being a film that deals with so much death and sorrow, Waltz With Bashir is vital and vivid from the opening frames. It presents a sobering topic filtered through a hallucinogenic frame, and as such, it commands the audience's attention from the first thrilling second to the devastating final shot. Few films can honestly claim to be totally unique, but the way that Folman uses animation to recount his amazing psychological journey makes it truly one of a kind. It's a captivating mystery, a profound investigation into the power of memory, a soul-searching autobiography, and an unflinching war drama, all wrapped up in a highly stylized package that, when the truth finally emerges, emphasizes the horrifying realities of war and personal accountability in a way that cuts straight to the bone. As a filmmaker, Folman seems to realize that the best hope for instilling that message is to ensure that, despite the remarkably heavy and intense subject matter, Waltz With Bashir remains consistently entertaining. And it is, thanks to the striking visuals, expert pacing, and pulsating soundtrack. Still, lest we find ourselves drifting too deep into the medium and forgetting the message, Folman sends us off with an expertly placed sucker punch that pulls us back to reality just in time to ensure that the message is not lost. Late in the film, a psychologist recounts to Folman the story of a war photographer who was able to mentally endure the horrible violence unfolding around him by simply viewing his surroundings as if looking through a camera lens. One day, upon witnessing the needless suffering of animals, his "camera" is inexplicably snatched away, leaving him completely vulnerable to the awful images he was previously capable of overlooking. After that incident, the photographer was incapable of doing his job. In the final moments of Waltz With Bashir, Folman essentially snatches away our collective "camera," forcing us to see the Sabra and Shatila massacre through his own eyes. It's a creative decision that will no doubt leave many viewers paralyzed with terror, yet also feels perfectly logical within the context, making Waltz With Bashir essential viewing for anyone foolish enough to believe that the rules of engagement hold any weight at all once the bombs start dropping. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Serge Lalou  Producer 
Max Richter  Composer (Music Score) 
Gerhard Meixner  Producer 
Roman Paul  Producer 
Ari Folman  Director 
Ari Folman  Producer 
Ari Folman  Screenwriter 
Yael Nahlieli  Producer 
Ari Folman  Actor 
Ori Sivan  Actor 
Roni Dayag  Actor 
Shmuel Frenkel  Actor 
Ron Ben Yisahi  Actor 
Dror Harazi  Actor 
Boaz Rein Buskila  Actor 
Carmi Cna'an  Actor 
Yehezkel Lazarov  Actor 

Country: France,Germany,Israel