REVIEW: LEBANON DVD
War is hell, so the saying goes. With shop shelves groaning under the weight of films full of bloody combat and cliched characters a few films set themselves apart and reveal the trauma, humanity and inhumanity that war brings.
Set entirely within the claustrophobic confines of a tank during the 1982 Israeli/Lebanese conflict the story follows four members of the tank crew as they struggle through the horror of fighting an urban war where innocents are caught up in the carnage.
Recent efforts from Israel have been impressive with Waltz with Bashir and Beaufort garnering praise. Lebanon uses the unique approach of having the gun sight act as a camera to bring the suffering closer than ever before. To show you the war through the eyes of a soldier with a conscience. Thanks to this it separates itself from other efforts in the genre and the result is a moving, thoughtful and disturbing vision.
Words: Richard Hogg
