"Lebanon" is such a true story. The group of four in the Centurion's main battle tank are all young soldiers. They have to go on a mission with a pair of ground troops and travel through the ruins of the town. For the inexperienced "rookies", every departure is a test of death. Although the enemy's strength is disparate, the inevitable sneak attack also makes the Israelis exhausted. Who is the Arab Liberation Organization and who is a civilian will be judged within seconds. One second late, his comrades and himself will sacrifice, one second early, the one who may be smashed is the old man of the chicken farm in front of him.
This is the world of Israeli soldiers. It is within reach, but inside the greasy chariot of several cubic meters, in addition to the dark comrades in arms, there is only a small circle that can be seen through the turret mouth. This palm-sized mirror is the only way for soldiers to communicate with the outside world, and the scenes they may see are magnified and miserable. Old men are dying, women are burning, men are either being slaughtered or preparing to attack themselves. This is the world of the tank soldier, trapped in a killing machine whose armor turns into its own coffin anytime, anywhere.
Director Samuel Maotz is not well known in the world. He did not expect to make his debut in Venice, and he was shocked by his skills. He has the potential to win the Golden Lion Award. The entire film of "Lebanon" is completed in a closed space, with only a subjective perspective of the operator looking outwards. This unique and resolute approach gives the film a rare sense of reality and presence, bringing the audience into the film from the very first shot and into a war-torn situation. Such a realistic touch comes from the director's real life experience. Maoz was a tank gun operator when he was young. He was tortured by the pain of war, and it was not until 20 years later that he plucked up the courage to transfer this experience. On the big screen. There are some inevitable difficulties for Israeli filmmakers to make such films, and the sensitivity of the theme and the current situation has caused one of the investors, the French MK2 Films, to shelve their plans. Fortunately, with the support of the National Film Fund, Maoz finally told people paralyzed by peace about the real tragedy of the war.
It's a rare and easy way to see the world from a killing machine. The four soldiers in this tank are not heroes, and they have not even cultivated the senselessness of veterans. They're just four cowardly, crybaby, mother-eating kids who pull the trigger and take other people's lives. It is not easy to grasp the sense of space in a closed space, but Maoz handles it very well, especially the editing, the smooth switching between the close-up of the face and the telephoto pan, the audience can easily understand the psychological evolution of the characters. Every time the camera is switched, it is possible to face a new death threat. The armor can only withstand an anti-tank gun once. As long as the psychological defense line does not collapse, he can still escape home to see his mother.
During the entire operation, the four comrades kept quarreling, running in, and judging. Survival was the only goal. Sacrifice was inevitable, but it was not the slaughter of the enemy. Even as a prisoner, there is a scene in the film that reflects the director's humanitarianism and deepens the theme of "Lebanon". There are only two shots in the film that are not in the tank, and the strong contrast of light inside and outside makes people realize the difference between life and death. When the tank soldiers finally pulled out of the attack after a 24-hour nightmare, they discovered that the sunflowers were so brilliant.
Luc, Venice, September 8, 2009
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