A film that is slightly under the radar here in the US, but should absolutely not to be missed, Lebanon is a dark and gritty look at the first day of the Lebanon War as it happens to an Israeli tank crew that must push through an urban combat zone.
Written and directed by Samuel Maoz, Lebanon is shot almost entirely from inside an Israeli tank, where four soldiers find themselves thrown into a chaotic spiral in which their own humanity is slowly stripped away from them in an effort to survive. The only depiction of the hell that is outside their vehicle comes from a first person view of the turrets crosshairs which is accompanied by the whines and grinds of the machine as it rotates and zooms in and out to give the audience a view of the madness and suffering going on around them.
Shmulik, played by Yoav Donat, is the tank’s gunner who has never fired on a live target; his early hesitation costs the life of a fellow soldier that the crew must then carry with them until the body can be extracted by helicopter. After his failure the crew must then come to terms with the reality of the decisions they will have to make in order to survive the war, or just the day. The dynamic of the four men going through this is what makes the movie deeply personal and emotional.
Maoz based the film on his experiences as a conscript in the 1982 Lebanon War, and takes extraordinary care to make the drama seem all too real for the audience. Rather than showcasing heroics or moments of grandeur that are common in many war movies, he instead exposes the raw emotional nerves that seem to strangle the characters in an effort that depicts them simply as young men in their 20s facing an extraordinary situation in a way that will truly stick with the viewer.
Lebanon was released in September 2009 in Israel to some controversy, and has just recently reached theatres in the United States. Since its release it has won, among other awards and nominations, the Leone d’Oro (“The Golden Lion”) at the 66th annual Venice International Film Festival – and the highest award that has been given to any Israeli film.
Though not widely publicized, Lebanon is an incredibly well shot, emotionally driven film that is worth viewing, then buying, and watching over and over again. Make sure to make time for this movie.