Waltz With Bashir Review

When "The Class" triumphed at Cannes earlier this year, the perception was that the jury had made the safe choice. For many, there was only one worthy winner of the Palm d'Or and that was "Waltz with Bashir". Thus, Ari Folman's hallucinatory animated documentary arrives here on a tidal wave of acclaim and deservedly so.

The film begins with a visually arresting sequence as a friend of Folman's recounts a dream where twenty-six dogs chase him relentlessly through the streets. The seed of the dream was planted by the Lebanon conflict in 1982 and the story stuns Folman as he realises that he himself remembers nothing of the war, despite being in the Israeli army at the time. He is haunted in particular by a vision of the massacre of three thousand Palestinian refugees after the assassination of President Bashir. Ultimately, his quest to discover the truth by talking with friends and those he fought alongside will end in the stark horror of reality.

Animation initially appears an unusual fit for this difficult subject matter, but is in fact the perfect medium for capturing the twisted reality of memory and war. The animation is stunning without ever being flashy and there is genuine substance behind the style. Folman's film is a totally immersive experience and will stay etched in your subconscious long after the atrocities of the followers of Bashir and the apathy of the Israeli army are revealed.

The political aspects of "Waltz with Bashir" are potentially incendiary but whilst the issues are never skirted, they remain a backdrop for Folman's personal journey. Indeed, the tone of the film is very reminiscent of the halcyon haze of "Apocalypse Now", portraying a microcosmic unreality. This focus on the personal over political lends the film its power and emotional weight.

A beautiful, vibrant and layered journey that you will never forget.