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Waltz with Bashir movie poster

Viewer Score

71
Viewer score based on 21 votes.

Critic Score

91
Critics' score based on 33 reviews.
powered by Metacritic ™
Theatrical Release Date:
12/25/2008
DVD Release Date:
06/23/2009
Run Time:
87min.
Director(s):
Distributor(s):
Sony Classics
MPAA Rating:
R for some disturbing images of atrocities, strong violence, brief nudity and a scene of graphic sexual content.
Genre(s):
Animation

Plot: 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 ... Read More

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Your Reviews

This movie was a major disappointment. Instead of being a critical analysis (animated or not) of the tragic events in 1982 at Sabra and Satilla refugee camps, it turns out to be an apologist's, sel... f-serving account of Israel's role in the massacre of the Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon, camps created by the Israeli ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians (while murdering 100,000) in 1948. The movie rightly blames the Christian Phalangists of the actual massacre of 3,000-3,500 Palestinian refugees in September 1982 and does point to the possibility of collaboration with Israel (many hold Ariel Sharon, then prime minister, directly responsible) for this war crime. It is deeply sad that these refugees had been twice the victims of an Israeli policy albeit carried out by their Lebananese allies. There is no real regret on the director's part in this double crime, only a egoistic and tortured account of PTS syndrome by the director (played by the leading animated soldier in the film). There was the inevitable reference to the Holocaust that the Israeli government often uses to justify their criminal behavior toward the Palestinians (who had nothing...nothing to do with that tragedy) along with references to being under attack from snipers and a kid with a RPG. Typical of Israeli and Palestinian conflicts since the ethnic cleansing, the Israelis are the superior force and the aggressors although they are portrayed as being the defenders and the victims of Palestinian "terrorists". That this movie received an Oscar award is a testament to the power of the Israeli lobby and their propaganda to white-wash their role in the crime, a real travesty of truth. Read Ilan Pappe's (an Israeli historian), "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" or Robert Fisk's "The Great War for Civilization", a history of the modern middle east...check out Sabra and Satilla or Sharon or Beshir as well to see what I mean. Full Review

January 23, 2010
screentricks

AIRIFEEKOM -- I cannot understand what you are trying to convey, because your English is not so good. Paradise Now is about young Palestinian me wanting to become suicide bombers. Waltz With Bashir ... is about men growing old and realizing the mistakes of war and violence, but nevertheless its unfortunate necessity in certain ************* beyone one's control. War is ugly, but it has been forced upon those trying to reside peacefully in their homeland of Israel. Paradise Now just shows young men trying to blow themselves up and one chickening ********** like comparing an apple to a pear. It's impossible to relate one to the other. Full Review

July 7, 2009
charlstern

At first confusing and when viewer is acclimated, rather tedious. Two seniors walked out about 2/3 through. What did images add to this film about sublimated guilt--nada.

March 29, 2009
NYBooklady

HALNMO11: there are many movies that are anti -violence, but do you think they will put a spot light on it??? I dont think so my friend. I also remember the great movie "Hotel Rowanda" was against vio... lence but I did not think it was fom Israel my friend. Go watch "Paradise Now", it is coming from Palestine, oops how come it is not from Israel and yet an anti war movie. by the way this is a rating blog, not politics, use another blog if you want to assume things that are not true. What a hypocrate you and the "Israel" government Full Review

February 13, 2009
AIRIFEEKOM

Excellent movie about one individual's psychological, emotional and spiritual journey into a dark past he has long and conveniently forgotten. Very surreal and artistically captivating, satirical and ... condemning view of war itself. It is amazing how many anti war movies come out of Israel. Last year it was "Beaufort". Before that "Walk on Water", and others. I am still waiting for the first anti war, anti violence film to come out of the Islamic world. Full Review

January 26, 2009
HALNMO11
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