I haven't ditched Love Film. There's just been a slew of titles for Mrs T. Plus Invictus, which I sent back, with out even watching. Finally one for me. Lebanon.
As if I hadn't had my fair share of gruelling sub titled films, lately...
I'd wanted to see Lebanon for ages.
I think it had a couple of 5* reviews in Empire/Total Film - or certainly very good ones.
Trouble is, I knew instantly, I'd want to try and forget it as soon as possible...
I don't know what it is about me and foreign language films.
I only seem to want to see the hard hitting ones.
The ones that stick with you. The ones that won't ever leave.
Some of the images in this are really distressing. The reason for that is simple. Pretty much the whole film takes place from inside a tank.
We see what the characters in the tank see. Looking out through the gun turret, petrified that at any minute they... sorry, *WE*, will shoot at someone.
It's been a while since I've seen Das Boot, but the comparisons are obvious.
Tight, claustrophobic. Sub titles. Ah, yes... sub titles...
I took some advice on this one, and watched the film with out any.
Ninety minutes of not understanding any dialogue, and not really needing too.
The images do the talking in this film.
A lady, who I initially thought was pregnant, escapes a burning building. Her dress is on fire, so she strips down, running around, deranged. Frightened.
We see it all from the gun turret. Uncomfortable zooms, and clicks, (the sound editing is genius).
They don't kill her, but the tension in the film is not knowing what will come next.
A man, victim of a tank blast, has two limbs missing. You're grateful when they put one in his head.
I'm probably not selling this, which is a shame.
As far as anti war movies go, it's got to be one of the best - and contrary to what I'm saying here, it's not that graphic.
But it will stick with you. And I found it quite distressing.
It made me glad to know I'm seeing it through a 50" TV. But also, that I have things a hell of a lot better than some.
Great film. Well worth the slog.
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