Communications and Media

Ari Folman happened to be one of the few people in the world who have been given the opportunity to see the war at its very core. In 1982, Folman fought with the rest of the Israeli army for a purpose they all thought they understood. Waltz with Bashir is a stirring depiction of how humans break down as they submerge themselves into the grueling and destructive face of the war. In this documentary film, Folman -- as director and main protagonist - takes the audience into a real, genuine and first-hand account of life at war. And apart from this, Folman also pulls the reader deep into his perceptions of how wars can actually destroy someones physical, mental, spiritual and emotional stability.

The Animated Genre
Documentary films are well-known for the actuality and the realism they present. However, the Israeli soldier-turned-author, Ari Folman gave a brand-new meaning to this kind of medium. Wars, since the First World War, have become usual subjects in films, in line with the common interest of war veterans to present the real horrors that the war brings. Folman however, went beyond depicting his life at war through conventional film making instead, he went for animated documentary. This film was actually from the original comic version which was published in 2009. From the original cartoons drawn for the comic version, Folman ventures into animation and puts his characters to a more realistic motion which did not fail to surprise the audience since the first time the film was shown to public.

In this film, Folman ventures into a world of moving comic strips that happen to be animated identities of real warriors at war. Basically, the film appeared to be a classic depiction of wartime gun fights, sniper attacks, and post war trauma and desperation. One of the most interesting features about this film is animation. It was able to animate the original comic version of the story, and put to motion the narration which gave the comic version its plot. One of the most captivating scenes in the story that made the animated feature of the film more interesting is the introductory part. In this part of the film, Folman presents a dim environment which seemed to convey something about the main protagonists disposition. As the hero walks into dark alley, a few seconds of deafening silence disturbs him, and then a group of wild dogs suddenly came attacking him. The hero fought with all his might however, the ambiguous look of emptiness and coldness on his face appears to convey a message that this kind of fight is not even a pinch as compared to that of the real war.

Animation has always captured the interest of the modern audience. Considering the fact that human beings are naturally visual creatures, it is not surprising that people always go for the more visually appealing media. The morbidity and violence in war films have been crucial issues for many traditionalists and conservatives. It is inevitable that war films would involve the harsh and often gruesome reality of pain and death since that is what wars are all about. This has also been one of the issues this kind of portrayal was able to address.
Folmans documentary presented the realities at war, but in a way which has been constrained by the possibilities of animation. The scenes were not that horrifying as compared to the stereotypical war film because of some limitations brought by animation. Aside from focusing on the brutality of combat, the author also preferred to focus on the emotions of the main protagonist instead, so as to take the audience into a deeper and a more complex reality, which soldiers like him goes through during revolutions. However, although this appeared to be the authors main emphasis, Folman did not fail in reminding the audience that war is all about pain and suffering. The first scene would already introduce this truth to the audience. Faced by a group of hungry and violent street dogs, Folman was forced to shoot and fight off such creatures since he knew he had to save his life for a more significant purpose which is to fight at war. In one scene, Folman was also forced to shoot mercilessly in one town since he had to fight off nearly invisible snipers. Elders, women and children were innocently killed during the event. Folman endured taking in such painful sights of the reality that more and more people are getting killed as the war goes on. However, although there were scenes like this, Folman was still able to bring back the audience to the main purpose of his depiction to understand the destruction the war causes to an individual, who is left with no choice but to succumb to what his duty calls for. As helpless as the people who were killed, Folman himself also appeared to be helpless as he could not do anything but to act on his obligation as a member of the military. Another thing which appeared remarkable in this depiction is how it brought the wonder of animation to a serious subject matter like war.

In the modern times of today, people are used to animation already however, this technique in film making is usually associated with stories having pleasant themes and messages. Thus, the association of this genre to a war story like this of Folman is somewhat surprising in a positive way. Folmans decision to associate his story to animation can probably be noted as his brightest decision in putting this documentary film publicly. It appears that together with Folmans objective of making people aware of the real depression and destruction that the war induces, he also wanted people to realize how significant and helpful animation can be in penetrating into peoples interests and personal view points. Having this story shown through a traditional film-making technique may not get much attention today, since a lot of people could have thought that it is just another war film. However, since it is animated, a lot of people, even those who are not really into war films, got easily interested on it. Hence, it could be said that the author also had a strong knowledge when it comes to what is timely in terms of film-making technology.

Obviously, animation is the newest and the freshest film-making technique today. Although it has already developed into lots of more advanced types over the years,  like cartoon, 3D animation, clay animation, etc.  this form of 2D comic animation, which was simply derived from an original comic strip, still showed an ability to get considerable attention since the graphics and illustrations were all realistic. There were several scenes which really caught audiences attention and interest. For example, there was this dramatic yet revealing scene where soldiers swam to the shore naked. They had to swim to the shore in the middle of the night without clothes on, so that the guards would not notice them that easily. Apart from being a dramatic representation of the disturbing tasks that soldiers are actually forced to do, this scene also presented the artistic and innovative quality of the author. Surely, this would be a lot disturbing if it was done with real actors. Hence, seeing it in an animated way proves to be much acceptable. Apart from this, Folman also did a great job in presenting a scene which reflected soldiers desires. In one scene, a gigantic naked woman was depicted to come out of the ocean in one of Folmans dreams. This scene explicitly depicted how soldiers long for companionship and intimacy  two things that are greatly deprived of them during war. In this scene, the woman embraces Folman, who was presented to enjoy such an intimate experience. Again, this would appear more awkward and disturbing for some if done in real life.

Indeed, the authors usage of such genre could be considered as a great judgment, as it did not just enhance the dramatic and stirring scenes, but it also strengthen peoples interest and curiosity about seeing this film. However, although it is apparent that Folman paid considerable emphasis on this genre, it is still undeniable that his most important focus is on the complexity and uniqueness of his main protagonist.

Actuality in Characterization
Ari Folman, who was part of the Israeli army during the dreadful war in 1982, was used to joining combats and attacking enemies as fierce as he could. He was able to picture every victory and every triumph his troupe had while fighting. However, there came this particular moment when everything, every picture, and every memory of the war seemed to be big blur for Folman. This has been the reason why he decided to go back several steps into his memory in order to collect and put the missing pieces of his remembrance back together. This was one of the most interesting adventures ever depicted as acclaimed by critics (Shulman). And quite interestingly, Folman chose to present this interesting adventure through an animated documentary.
Aside from the commendable illustrations and graphics, Folmans story was also regarded highly by documentary enthusiasts due to the sincerity of the message it speaks about the war. Everything can be observed to be written under the perspective of the main character himself. The story revolves around Folmans struggle to put the missing parts of his lost memory together by going back to the places he once have been and interviewing people he once had the chance to work with in the army. Through this, he regains some pieces of his memory back and somehow gets a glimpse of what his true past looked like. However in the story, Folmans character was also depicted to be puzzled about the things he remembers. Some appeared weird to him and some even appeared scary, like the fact that he actually committed massacres at the war. This began to stress him out psychologically and emotionally. To console him, his friend who has served as his adviser and confidante through the years explains to him that not anything he remembered was a true part of his past. Memory is dynamic. If details are missing and there are some black holes, memory fills in the empty spaces until it completely recalls something that never happened, his friend, Ori explains (Folman and Polonsky 17).

Having one part of his past is like having one huge part of his whole identity torn away. For Folman, this has been a difficult thing to overcome over the years. It can also be seen from the film that he would constantly have nightmares about the dogs that he once slaughtered and the people that once became victims of the war which inevitably brought him into the battlefield. The plot clearly captures how Folman struggled to connect the flashbacks he has been getting from nowhere and the information that his peers provided to him in a painful and agonizing attempt to uncover his past. Thus, this teaches the readers that more than the physical trauma that is commonly reflected in the scars and bruises that usually fade away through time, what wars really cause is that lasting and torturing emotional agony which will haunt them throughout their entire life. Considering this, it can be said that Folman did a great job in presenting the painful experience he once went through. It is not at all times easy for people to depict these difficult experiences however as it appears, for the sake of substantive message and effective portrayal, Folman dared to present such sensitive real life scenes to this animated documentary.

Although Folmans character appears to possess utmost courage and determination as he tries to conquer his fear by going back to his past. It can be inferred through his dialogues in the plot that he oftentimes fears knowing things he would not ever want to know about. Nonetheless, he still pursues his journey to the past to discover what he was like during the war in order to make himself whole again. However, as it appears, the process of going back is in itself a very painful process for Folman. Discovering that he once killed innocent lives and took precious things from others is something which he never thought he was capable of. Yet, these are things he can never escape, and these are the things that the war made him do. Just as how Folman was able to create a commendable plot and film technique in this documentary, he was also able create an implicative and captivating character in his own personage. Folmans ability to connect his own sentiments, feelings and emotions to those of the viewers strengthens the moving character of this documentary film. In almost all scenes, viewers can easily be swayed and stirred by the characters real-life appeal and their emotions and dialogues that seemed too real for an animated documentary.

If there was anything this film did not fall short of presenting, it is Folmans personal view points about how destructive the war can be of ones minds, emotions and spirituality aside from the obvious physical exhaustion it induces. One of the most remarkable features of this film is animation. However, although Folman succeeded well enough in utilizing such a film-making technique, it was also undeniable that he did not fall short of emphasizing the complexity of his characters. Each scene appeared like literally going into Folmans body and seeing the actual brutality of the war, hearing the deafening silence brought by death and feeling the actual pain brought by brutal combat. Folmans character can do well as a fictional character due to the very interesting experiences and insight it could share. However, knowing that Folmans character is a real-life personage, this film appears to be more interesting to see. Folmans experiences on its own already tell a lot of valuable insights and lessons in life and surviving life. But his innovative and creative way of depicting such experiences makes reflecting on such insights and lessons more catching.

Apart from these very captivating features of this documentary film by Ari Folman, it undeniably tells a lot about an important realization that all people have to have and that is the fact that war destroys more than building a nations principle. Folmans ability to send the real message of war to people through his own painful and bitter experiences can really be considered as captivating and at the same time noteworthy. Not all soldiers are willing and ready to displace their painful memories of the war. But Folman, who has been deeply traumatized by his experiences to the extent of forgetting everything, still had the courage and the selflessness to tell people what the real face of the war is.

Seldom do people witness innovation and reality nowadays. Thus, the industry of documentary film-making must indeed express some gratitude to individuals and authors like Ari Folman for making the initiative of merging these two features in one compelling and deeply moving film. People are now faced with the wonders of modern film-making technology thus, it is not difficult anymore for people to appreciate this kind of work, as it already presents a strong visual quality. Folmans creativity and innovation in film-making can be considered surprising and somewhat unanticipated considering his being a war veteran. He was brought up in a time of chaos and misery, and his calling to write and produce a film was born during the time of technological advancement. The merging of these two aspects of Folmans life has been very timely and logical which produced this masterpiece which is still bound to arrest and enthrall viewers interest in documentary films, specifically the animated ones.