Lebanon

Lebanon is a 2009 war film directed by Samuel Maoz. It is a gripping and gritty Israeli film that explores the physical and psychological turmoil of war through the tight, claustrophobic lens of a tank's crew during the early stages of the First Lebanon War in 1982. This film shows the hardship of individuals and the human consequences of war, while its main characters are four Israeli soldiers: Yoav Donat as Shmulik, Itay Tiran as Hertzel, Oshri Cohen as Gamil and Michael Moshonov as Yigal.

Yoav Donat plays a young and inexperienced tank gunner Shmulik who is thrust into the terrors and confusion of warfare in his first mission. The characters here are not valiant heroes, but regular men facing the impossible choices and moral dilemmas that come with their role. They are torn by their innate human empathy and the heavy consequences imposed by the brutalities of warfare. Their youthful innocence and early naivety is shredded by the horrors they encounter.

The success of Lebanon lies in its ability to enthrall the viewer, despite the film being almost entirely set within the confines of the tank. The audience only sees what the soldiers can see through the tank's periscope and the closed hatches. This creates an intense sense of claustrophobia, emphasizing the feeling of entrapment that the characters themselves are experiencing. The skillful cinematography adds a visceral texture to the narrative, augmenting the terror, tension, and trauma.

Itay Tiran plays Hertzel, a loader with a complex personality, a character who is tough outside but concerned about the situations beyond his control inside the tank. Oshri Cohen delivers a strong performance of Gamil, the bullet feeder, projecting a very loud and tense character who battles not only the enemy outside but also the debilitating fear inside. Michael Moshonov is Yigal, the driver who barely knows his way around and navigates more by instinct and instruction than any real knowledge of the landmarks outside the tank.

The film is not just a depiction of war but also the multifaceted dimensions of humanity. What sets Lebanon apart is its focus on the personal and emotional rather than the political. It's about the humanizing element of warfare, how men adapt and react to situations they scarcely understand, and how conflict exposes the rawest and barest regions of the human physiology and psyche. This is a narrative less about war itself and more the human toll it exacts.

Director Samuel Maoz's own experiences from the war heavily influenced the film. Maoz was a tank gunner during the First Lebanon War, and his firsthand experience gives the film an unsettling authenticity. The critically-acclaimed film received numerous accolades, and it's not hard to see why. The hyper-realistic imagery and the deeply emotional performances of the cast create an immersive and thought-provoking movie-watching experience. Like the protagonists, viewers are sucked into a conflict they can't fully comprehend and leave profoundly affected.

More than being just a war movie, Lebanon serves as a form of collective therapy for those directly and indirectly affected by the brutalities of war. While focused primarily on a specific historical moment, the universality of its themes allows it to speak to audiences across time and space, making the film relevant even today.

Lebanon is not easy viewing and definitely is not for the faint-hearted. But for those brave enough to venture into its raw and real depiction of warfare, Lebanon offers a cinematic experience that leaves viewers with an understanding, empathy and insight into the toll warfare takes on the human soul. This film is an excellent piece of cinematic art that will engage viewers in a visceral and emotional experience, unearthing the complexities of man's interior struggle during war.