Waltzing with Bashir

Ari Folman is absolutely clear in his depictions of the atrociousness of war. This is well and good and there need to be stories set against those that blindly praise the heroism of war. For every Sgt. York, we need at least two Waltz with Bashir.

For all of the dreamlike qualities of Waltz, the emotions and the lesson/message are straightforward and obvious. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes only a blunt hammer to the skull will do.

In honor of recently viewing and enjoying Waltz with Bashir, here is my…

Top 10 “Blunt Hammer” War Films List.

10. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (Gordon)
Here’s where I immediately declare my intention to cheat. I don’t think that too many people besides myself would be stupid enough to classify King of Kong as a war film, but from the opening frames, it insists that it is a war film set within a war universe. There are sides drawn and there are battles won and lost by each side. I have a special interest in games of all sorts and I believe that social and competitive gaming (mental or physical) brings out the best of what war can be and frames the contest in a non-violent setting. If only every military coup could be decided by chess match, or Donkey Kong.

9. The Thin Red Line (Malick)
The Thin Red Line is my least favorite Malick film. I’ve only seen it once when it first came out, so I know I haven’t given it a fair chance. Murph, my college “art and history of film” teacher, claimed that it is the "second best war film yet made- second only to Grand Illusion." (note to self: I also need to re-watch Grand Illusion)

8. Joyeux Noel (Carion)
In many ways, Joyeux Noel plays out just like any typical Hollywood war film, but a good script focused on its unusual subject matter steers it away from typical war film satisfactions. The story of a Christmas truce between enemy soldiers is moving. Watching the breakdown of hostilities and the subsequent inability to wage war brought me to tears.

7. La France (Bozon)
I love the music, which is a good thing since the music provides the skeleton which the flesh of this picture hangs from. Almost makes me want to enlist, then desert.

6. Battleground (Wellman)
This is the only “traditional” war film of the list. Battleground celebrates bravery, heroism and self-sacrifice amidst the horrors of war. In working toward peace, it’s easy to forget that war often does bring out a certain kind of brotherly love among men that is hard to find elsewhere. Instead of pretending that it doesn’t exist, we should honor what is good and strive to cultivate similar virtues in the difficult practice of peace.

5. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (Enrico)
This is a very specific examination of a very specific moment in a war - a hanging. What happens in the moment of a single man’s death is at least as important as the grand sweep of any war.

4. Ivan’s Childhood (Tarkovsky)
War, like Wu-Tang Clan, is for the children. War, like Wu-Tang Clan, ain't nothin' ta fuck wit'.

3. Shame (Bergman)
I’m not sure that it’s true that wars destroy relationships, but wars certainly stress them to the point at which if something’s going to break, it will probably break during the war. Bergman, as always, is unsparing.

2. Lessons of Darkness (Herzog)
Wars may end. The effects of wars remain.

1. Les Carabiniers (Godard)
Godard chronicles our absurdity. Probably the purest anti-war war film that I've ever seen. Coutard should be given a lot of credit for the film's cinematography, which is fairly unique to this film and serves the story so perfectly. I love the look of the film.