SectionsLetter: Movie reviewer misses film's point
Issue date: 3/10/09 Section: Opinion
From the removed, American perspective, it's easy to be absolutist about right and wrong when dealing with actions during the Israeli occupation of Lebanon.
Adam Waldowski's review of "Waltz with Bashir" in last Tuesday's issue harbors these narrow ideas, as well rigid expectations about muckraking documentaries, when he finds it so easy to judge the lack of specific accusation.
He also expresses a paradoxical sentiment that the film should, on the basis of being animated, be "entertaining," comparing it to Disney fare.
When you let go of those very limiting expectations, you are left with a potent, personal drama that utilizes its narrative format and the decision to use animation to play on memory and relative perception of reality by individuals, the final film scene being the point of convergence of multiple memories and documentation.
As an animation student who has studied both film and photography, I can tell you that people are hesitant in front of a lens, and that other representations such as drawings have the potential to be more intimate and unguarded.
I believe that in the case of "Waltz with Bashir," it is this personal and emotional intimacy that takes priority over exposing individuals and their atrocities. I recommend that individuals interested in Ari Folman's intent look up his interview with NPR's Robert Siegel at npr.org.
Brett Leeper
sophomore, computer animation
Adam Waldowski's review of "Waltz with Bashir" in last Tuesday's issue harbors these narrow ideas, as well rigid expectations about muckraking documentaries, when he finds it so easy to judge the lack of specific accusation.
He also expresses a paradoxical sentiment that the film should, on the basis of being animated, be "entertaining," comparing it to Disney fare.
When you let go of those very limiting expectations, you are left with a potent, personal drama that utilizes its narrative format and the decision to use animation to play on memory and relative perception of reality by individuals, the final film scene being the point of convergence of multiple memories and documentation.
As an animation student who has studied both film and photography, I can tell you that people are hesitant in front of a lens, and that other representations such as drawings have the potential to be more intimate and unguarded.
I believe that in the case of "Waltz with Bashir," it is this personal and emotional intimacy that takes priority over exposing individuals and their atrocities. I recommend that individuals interested in Ari Folman's intent look up his interview with NPR's Robert Siegel at npr.org.
Brett Leeper
sophomore, computer animation
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
what?
posted 3/10/09 @ 1:19 AM CST
Who cares about movie reviews?
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