Lebanon
Directed by Samuel Maoz
Isreal
Directed by Samuel Maoz
Isreal
Lebanon is a war film with conflicting intents, and little to say. We spend the duration of the film inside a tank with four soldiers. These characters are never developed, and when their relationships with each other awkwardly advance it is nearly laughable. Their dialogue comes off forced, and certain monologues are out of place entirely. Having the whole film take place in a tank is an interesting concept, but one that is not taken advantage of here. Lebanon never successfully conveys the claustrophobic sensations that the characters are surely experiencing. I did appreciate several nice surreal touches, but they felt like they belonged to a different film. Many times the POV is what one character sees when looking through the cross-hairs of the tank's missile launcher. This technique is meant to immerse us further into the film, but is only a gimmick and actually distances us from the intensity. The Hurt Locker, a film from earlier this year, was able to make us feel as though we were among the action. Lebanon pales in comparison.
posted by adam cook
