Customer Reviews

Lebanon

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Lebanon" is the last of a small crop of acclaimed Israeli war films that addresses the First Lebanese War of 1982. The first was "Beaufort", released in 2007, followed by "Waltz with Bashir" in 2008. Curiously the first of these movies, Beaufort, depicts the last chapter of the war that involves the precipitous Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon. Waltz with Bashir is an animated film mostly centered around the massacre of Palestinian refugees in the camp of Sabra and Shatila. Beaufort was honest, sad and difficult to watch due to the slow motion prevailing in the film. Waltz with Bashir is enthralling but morally murky for eventually placing almost the entirety of the culpability of the massacre on the actions of the Lebanese Phalanges. Lebanon, I feel, is by far the best of the three. It has a unique form of presenting its story. The movie alternates scenes of the inside of a tank with views through the gunsight of the gun turret. The four Israeli soldiers inside the combat vehicle experience the events of the first 24 hours of the war in a progressively deteriorating atmosphere, suffused with broken equipment, stench, filth and smoke. Through the gunsight, the audience can visualize the war in its total depravity. The movie does not preach, take sides or sanitize the insanity of combat. The horrific scenes of destruction of property, dead and dying civilians, and unending pain and suffering are only matched by the quick psychological deterioration of the soldiers. The tank crew is not in control of their fate or environment, and there is no attempt to create false heroism or glorify their actions. Samuel Maoz, the director, delivers an astonishing cinematic experience. It is difficult to make comments about this movie that will not involve spoilers. Lebanon certainly more than deserved the Golden Lion Award it received at the 66th Venice International Film Festival. So far, Hollywood has still to match the boldness and calculated delivery of this movie. One may need to understand the context of the never ending conflict between Israel and Lebanon to better appreciate Mr. Maoz's work. Lebanese movies about the Second Lebanese War such as "Beirut Diaries & 33 Days" and "Under the Bombs" are a good complement to "Lebanon" for those interested in this tragic confrontation. Lebanon is not a movie for those who believe that war provides acceptable solutions for political disputes. I wish without much hope that one day the leaders of these two creative nations will attain the insight, compassion and sensibility of their movie directors and bring an end to the hatred and destruction that still go on.

In 2011, Americans are once again celebrating Wolfgang Petersen's masterpiece of filmmaking about WWII German U-boat crews, Das Boot (Two-Disc Collector's Set) [Blu-ray]. Yet another edition of the movie was released this year to the acclaim of critics and even a special National Public Radio report on the movie.

By contrast, very few Americans have ever heard of this remarkable Israeli film, which might be described as the Das Boot of tank warfare in the Middle East. It's called just: Lebanon. Don't confuse this with another 2011 release, Lebanon, PA., which is the story of an American advertising executive who returns to his hometown. The award-winning Israeli film has just a single word for its English title: Lebanon.

While you could consider Lebanon as the Das Boot of tank warfare, that focus on the military hardware misses the kind of terrific discussions you can have with this film by director Samuel Maoz. Sure, if you're a "war buff," this movie is essential for your movie collection. But here's what makes Lebanon so eye-popping and so sure to fuel spirited conversation: Samuel Maoz was an Israeli army gunner on one of the first tanks that crossed the border in the 1982 Lebanon War. His experiences burned themselves into his psyche so deeply that he worked for years to create this 94-minute drama about a tank crew similar to his own. Watch the extras on this DVD in which Maoz steps from behind his camera and describes the trauma of his own experiences.

I've watched Lebanon with American viewers who don't know much about this film and their first guess is that it's an Arab-made movie. It's certainly an anti-war film and not what most Americans viewers would expect coming out of Israel. Yet, Maoz won 4 Israeli Academy Awards for his production of Lebanon--along with other international honors the movie has racked up. The film's shocking and deeply compassionate scenes ring with the truth of Maoz's own experience. No one could have created this script out of sheer imagination. In fact, if you're a fan of this film by Maoz, you should also consider Amos Gitai's Kippur, another war film based on the filmmaker's own trauma.

In my judgment, though, Lebanon is a far more fully realized drama than Yom Kippur. For instance, there's one final scene of compassion between an Israeli and an Arab soldier in Lebanon that's unlike any other war movie you've ever seen--period. Want to talk about Middle East conflict in a fresh and humane way? Get Lebanon.

Set in June, 1982, the first Lebanon war, Writer-director Samuel Maoz's "Lebanon" follows the four twenty-something soldiers on a tank, sent on a mission to a twon just bombarded by the Israeli Air Force. It was supposed to be a simple mission, which of course, it wasn't, as the four characters - the gunner Shmulik (Yoav Donat), the commander Assi (Itay Tiran), the loader Hertzel (Oshri Cohen) and the driver Yigal (Michael Moshonov) - will soon find out.

"Lebanon" is not about combat itself. It is about "action" inside the tank, or emotions of four young soldiers. The outside of the tank is mostly shown as an image seen through a gunsight. Most events of the film takes place inside the tank. The Golden Lion winner at the 66th Venice International Film sometimes even unfolds like a drama on the stage. The camera frequently employs close-ups of the characters (including those outside the tank).

According to the press kit (you can read it on the official site), "The tank scenes were shot in the studio and the battle scenes at two locations: a banana plantation and an abandoned industrial zone." To me the film's battle scenes are not very convincing, not because of the shortage of explosions or gun shots, but because the film's intention is sometimes a bit too obvious, trying to direct our attention to whatever the director wants us to see. Also, I know the film wants to focus the psychological aspects of the characters (and I am no expert of military technology), but more detailed look of the interiors of the tank would have helped create a more claustrophobic atmosphere.

I have mixed feelings about "Lebanon." I am not sure the narrative device, which itself is surely innovative, is really effectively used here (the hatch will be opened more than once). All in all I was impressed with the film's good acting, and some of the scenes that are intense, but also felt that with a different approach this could have been more so.

Writer/director Samuel Maoz has created in his film LEBANON a statement about war we are not likely to forget. Based on his own experiences, this film about the Israeli Invasion of Lebanon in June of 1982 (the first Lebanon war) internalizes the responses of young soldiers sent on a mission that should have seemed simple but became anything but simple. The reason the film's message is so strong is that it forces four young, virginal soldiers in a tiny enclosed atmosphere where they must by proximity depend on each other to confront the whole question of the validity of war. It is exceptionally powerful.

A solitary army tank and a small platoon of paratroopers are sent to assure that a hostile Lebanese town bombed by the Israelis is secure. In the tank are four soldiers - Shmulik (Yoav Donat), Assi (Itay Tiran), Hertzel (the exceptionally handsome and brilliant Oshri Cohen), and Yigal (Michael Moshonov). They are not seasoned soldiers and what lies outside their protective tank is terrifying to them. Inside the tank is a claustrophobic, filthy, smoky, and foul smelling space where the four soldiers are able to view the effects of war and their tenuous grasp on reality through only the periscope of the tank. Occasionally the lid of the tank is opened to drop in a casualty along with a moment of fresh air to breathe, but basically these four men must grapple with the horrors of killing and destruction outside their tank. The aspects of human frailty that war exposes appear like autopsies on the minds and gradual mental deterioration that overtakes each of these vulnerable and emotionally unprepared young men. They may attempt humor but it is thwarted by the gore outside their iron shield of the tank where Lebanese soldiers attack and mothers suffer the loss of their children in the bombings and shootings of the little village. Maoz wisely places enough of the battle scenes outside the confines of the tank, making the audience as shocked by the atrocities of war as viewed from the exterior as the restricted glimpses of that war available to the tank crew.

This is most assuredly an anti-war film but rather than waving flags of attack and endless scenes of gore, Maoz keeps it distilled and in doing so makes it even more horrific. The cast is brilliant, delivering performances so well crafted that they linger in the minds eye long after the film is over. The haunting musical score is by Nicolas Becker and Benoît Delbecq and the almost impossible cinematography is by Giora Bejach . In Hebrew, Arabic, French and English with subtitles. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, August 11

I can't believe one reviewer of this excellent film giving it a bad rating because it was too depressing and not "enjoyable.' What did you expect, TOY STORY IN A TANK? And to the other negative reviewer who panned it because he didn't think the interior of the tank was 100% accurate: Please, for god's sake, this is a movie, not a documentary! I saw the film at the Toronto INt'l Film Festival a couple of years ago. I was quite moved by it even though I have serious problems with the Israeli military I thought it was a wonderful testament to the horrors of war, especially from the perspective of young soldiers who were basically kids. I highly recommend it.

This film offers a very graphic look at what war looks like close up. We view this reality through the eyes of an Israeli tank crew in Lebanon in 1982.

This shows the horrific violence that war wroughts upon people unfortunate enough to be a part of it. Very sad viewing.

After reading reviews here I bought the video intrigued since my father prepped Centurian tanks before the 6 day war to send to Israel in the 60's. They were in rough shape and he was impressed that the IDF upgraded the armor and the main gun and made them serviceable. I wanted to get a sense what the tank was like in battle since my father loved driving and repairing the Centurian. My uncle was one of the key evaluators of the Leopard mk 1 that Canada bought to replace it. He built a banked test track with various other features to test the suspension etc. The movie Lebanon is really hard to like, first the tank interior is far too big. The cameras had to go somewhere I agree but the submarine analogy fits, the lack of discipline, hand wringing and lack of hygiene displayed did not reflect reality. As a former infantry reservist I got really filthy on scheme but never got to the point these clowns display. A commander who won't enforce discipline, a gunner who won't defend himself, a driver who is clueless about his machine. This is not a war movie at all! It is just a protest film! It did not inform, or make me think. The telephoto lense effect of the gun ports was ridiculous like a documentary film crew focusing on stuff they could not possibly see, or care about. The script is atrocious, convoluted and chopped up. I doubt the director knew what he was doing. He seem to be trying to exorcise demons and create anti-war sentiment with someones elses money. A total waste of resources! Buy Beaufort or some of the documentaries on the Israeli conflict made by actual film makers. You won't learn anything about the conflict from either the Lebanese or Israeli view points you didn't already know from news reports. Avoid this mess.

1. all quiet on the western front (the original)
2. patton
3. platoon
4. lebanon
5. the thin red line
6. das boot
7. top gun

i think that the greatest war movie of all time has yet to be made, we need the structure of the thin redline, the philosophy of all quiet on the western front, the intensity and claustrophobia and outlook of lebanon and das boot and the acting of platoon and the production values of patton and top gun.
perhaps some day they will all come together. in the meantime you have to admire the 4 th best war movie of all time
made at a cost probably 1/100 of top gun.

It seems after Hollywood wonders numerous not much could be shot new, capturing viewer's attention outside the Dream-Factory, in Israel for sure. But one would never ever know if one never ever watches this feature.

Bloody actions of Lebanon war's first days have been presented through eyes of the inexperienced, simply young Israeli soldiers peeping via their tank eye-pipe(periscope).
Whole movie is inside a tank. Depicted graphically and expertly,a tragedy is filled with barrack humor and hints, among which giving a soldier's hand relieving to having launched a rocket at this tank, a Syrian PW to pee, is in a sharp distinction to a local falangist's-an Arab Christian insurgent's (unforgettably performing actor also whole cast is really unforgettable, playing naturally) intention to cut this prisoner's little brother off after poking out his eye with spoon, sadomaizing and splitting apart with the cars on the morning.

A kosher work on a military topic surely.

Beautifully filmed, so kudos on the cinematography. And the makeup. But I never got a sense of the characters other than a few routine character traits, and I never really cared about what was happening. I look forward to more films from Samuel Maoz though, because nothing in the movie was bad and what he did well he did very well.