Lebanon
Director: Samuel Maoz
Screenplay: Samuel Maoz
Starring: Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Itay Tiran, Michael Moshonov, Zohar Shtrauss
Year: 2009
Languages: Hebrew, Arabic
UK rental release: August 2010
We're entering the isolated and claustrophobic world of tank warfare this week, with the hidden gem and sleeper hit from Israel, Lebanon.
We start on 6th June 1982: day one of The Lebanon War. Commander Assi (Itay Tiran, Forgiveness, The Debt), an astute and direct commander enters the tank that will be his metal chariot for the coming days ahead. He greets the new member to his team, Shmulik (newcomer Yoav Donat) who'll be his gunner for the coming battles. Needing to hold his nerve on the trigger will be difficult for this confused and edgy individual, especially when the rest of the squad are already acquainted with each other.
The other two soldiers have their work cut out for them too. Yigal (Michael Moshonov, Tehilim, Policeman), considerate yet aloof, has the task of driving the tank through the Lebanon streets, but it's Hertzel (Oshri Cohen, Agora, Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi) who brings an unnecessary extra edge. Petulant and troublesome, he has to load the shells into the gun mechanism and handle other physical tasks. Yet, even though his job involves brawn, his mind is alert and active, questioning the most minor of orders from his commanders in order to comprehend what's in store.
As soon as their advance begins they're none the wiser on their mission...so they wait. Suddenly they catch a soldier in their cross-hairs. Luckily, he's a friendly, but only in the military sense. Gamil (Zohar Shtrauss, Eyes Wide Open, The Assassin Next Door) is a tense man. Cold, calculated, he's clearly stained by a life in war.
Entering the tank, he begins relaying orders to the men. With little information, and no questions answered, Gamil gives them their tasks and and leaves them in an air of mystery. First, they must head to a nearby town, which has just been cleared by an air strike, to mop up any remaining enemies on site. Moving on from there, they will receive more orders for their campaign, covering a span of three weeks.
Within an hour, tension is already building amongst our soldiers, when an argument begins over who's responsible for guarding the others while they sleep. Hertzel is opposing the order from Assi to stay up on watch, and the seeds of doubt and anxiety start to take hold. After only a few brief moments of rest, the next morning arrives suddenly and the brewing discomfort blossoms in an early failure in taking down a charging BMW. This outcome has already but Shmulik at an unrest.
As they continue on their mission, somehow they go off track and end up in Serbian run territory. Until they receive orders of how they can escape this mess, they will have to last it out. While they wait, paranoia starts to infest the men. Their judgement of their mission falls apart and trust starts to break down amongst them. Why are they here? And does Gamil have other motives?
As the opening title fills our screen, we're greeted with an unusual image. This opening shot of sunflowers, wilting gently and lingering for a moment, is a beautiful intro. It's the only true moment outside of the tank, and the serenity of the meadow is a real juxtaposition to the film you are about to engulf yourself in; of the grimy and gruesome realm of machinery.
The horror and confusion of war is felt within the first fifteen minutes, with two contrasting encounters on one small stretch of road. And, as the story moves forward, we get to really know these four tankmen of their own apocalypse, switching between each crew member to delve into their psyches and learning how they cope with their predicament. This relatively unknown cast are thrilling and incredibly well kept in such a small stage to perform.
But truthfully, it's really all about Shmulik, played magnetically by Yoav Donat. He is our eyes, not only as gunman and lens to the world outside this metal prison but as a newcomer; yet untainted by war, gradually breaking under the terror and destruction. We feel his pain as his morals crumble and his ability to hold his nerve is questioned.
It's the ethics that Shmulik and his companions brood over that build real heart in this film. It's quite difficult to ignore the brave anti-war message running through this whole movie, which is a bold approach to such source material and lends itself to influence some interesting visuals.
As this is set entirely in a tank, there's some experimental, and clearly very inventive, shooting methods at play here. Taking in some of the artistic geometry of the interior of their armoured vehicle, it enhances the beauty of design and the engineering world. Hard, but minimal, light drapes our cast and their machinery, creating a tapestry of flesh & steel in an almost effervescent microcosm.
The only views you get outside of the tank are through the machine's scopes, which are incredibly atmospheric. This point-of-view aspect keeps the momentum contained, internalising the action through the means of this simple framing mechanism. In order to capture enough of the surroundings, the telescopic view scans around erratically, which is a unique perspective for a movie and generates terrific realism. Zooming in and out adds to this peculiar visual environment and enhances the excitement.
Plus, the sound is ecstatic. The inner workings of the tank fill the surround sound; an alien audio to the residents of this moving iron cell. This enclosure-style of film making is a seriously courageous move but it totally works. And, through this interpretation of what's beyond the turret the squad's world is reduced into a bubble.
As confined as the set is, the pace is incredibly well measured, ramping up and down in equal quantities and generating a real spectrum of motion through the plot. Your attention is held throughout, with a blend of action and drama perpetuated in this minuscule lair of calamity and despair. This concoction of impressive momentum, restricted camera work, arresting sounds, and emotive performances delivers a surprisingly satisfying political thriller. And while director and writer Samuel Moaz juggles these morsels of filmic delight, he still succeeds in building to an intense finale, culminating in a frenzy of panic and fear.
Lebanon is a film that should hold acclaim for it's diligence and confidence in portraying a tale with what appears to be limited stimulus, while instead demonstrating an insatiable ability to unravel a story's potential through some seriously alternative means. It proves that, sometimes, less is more and then some!
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