Now this was more like it. This is what I had been waiting all festival for, a film that actually blew me away (and it was perfect to wash away the after-taste of “Enter The Void”).
“Lebanon” is a claustrophobic story of four young soldiers, who are inside a tank, thrust into the Lebanon war on its first day. This is director Samuel Maoz’s first film, and is based on his own experiences of that 1982 war. It amazingly captures the intensity and absurdity of war in the 24 hours that it is set. Confusion and fear play important roles for the soldiers who find out first hand just how hard it is to pull the trigger at a real person compared to that of a training drill. Right from the get-go, the guy on the gun makes two terrible mistakes because of the speed everything happens and the confusion as to who is enemy or civilian. The first, not pulling the trigger on a terrorist causing a fellow soldier to be killed, and then immediately following, panicking because of the first mistake and killing an un-armed civilian.
From here until the end of the film, we the audience, are in a state of suspense as we, like the soldiers, have no idea when or where the next attack is coming from. We also get to feel the emotions and the psychological consequences of these poor soldiers in relation to the actions that they take.
Overall, this is superior filmmaking; it is wonderfully shot and acted making “Lebanon” a fantastic film. It is riveting from start to finish and is reminiscent of the great German film “Das Boot” (high praise, indeed). Check it out if you ever get the chance.
4.5 Stars - Viewed at the 2010 Melbourne International Film Festival
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