Lebanon

Lebanon

I feel nauseous. My stomach aches. I am overwhelmed. This is indeed a brilliant film and has won awards at various film festivals. I wasn’t sure I could stay until the end because it was so upsetting.

We follow four Israeli soldiers in a tank in Lebanon. The time is June 1982. From time to time a commander would drop (literally) into the tank with orders. Their commands were mainly given through radio connections.

The camera work is absolutely phenomenal. The camera goes right into the eyes of the soldiers. You see how bleary eyed they are and their eyes are tinged with red. Their fear registers so clearly on their faces. I could feel their pain. They were badly in need of a shower and a shave. I was almost scratching throughout the film.

Everything they see is through the tank scope. It is eerie and I felt claustrophobic.

I was also concerned for the soldiers who were scouting the area while walking on the road beside the tank. At last there was some protection within the tank.

The horrors of war are clearly portrayed. So many innocent people lose their lives in these battles. At times we see how they are frightened and want to question the orders.

I also empathized with the treatment of the Syrian soldier who was taken prisoner. It was painful to look at the dead people who at times were littered on the street.

The question is do I avoid such films because I don’t like watching people get hurt? Do I suffer the anguish and gain empathy for the horrible task facing the soldiers?

At one point the tank was definitely in enemy territory. Syrian soldiers were everywhere in the area. They were urged by their commander to get out quickly. The tank was beginning to fail them. It was leaking and losing power. They were being shelled while vainly trying to get away.

I thought I would weep when one soldier asked his commander to send a message to his elderly parents. Another soldier has a real melt down and could not pull the trigger even when commanded to do so.

This is a brilliant film but it was very difficult to watch.