Cinema has seen it's share of effective war films. The Deer Hunter, Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Saving Private Ryan, Paths of Glory, Full Metal Jacket, etc. The list goes on and on and on. The stunning Waltz With Bashir is also a powerful take on war, but what sets it apart from the other films on this list is the fact that its animated.

Waltz With Bashir is told from the perspective of film maker Ari Folman, a war veteran who, through an extensive interview process with fellow veterans, begins to piece together the profound effect the 1982 invasion of Lebanon had on his own psyche. It seems that Folman has a hard time remembering specific events from that time period, and it is his hope that through these conversations, he might be able to come to terms with what really happened during an extremely dark period in his life.

Waltz With Bashir is compelling film making. Not only does the unique animated technique lend a surreal, nightmarish quality to this gripping movie, but so does the documentary like story structure. Essentially, this is a strung together series of vignettes chronicling the stories of individual soldiers and their harrowing experiences in a tragic war. There's a naturalistic flow to the fashion in which these characters speak, and even though some of these stories are a bit underdeveloped, the film still manages to pack an emotional punch.

There are several noteworthy vignettes to speak of in the film, but one of the strongest revolves around a soldier who, against all odds, struggles to reach his brothers in arms by way of sea after nearly getting shot in a massive fire fight along a war torn beach. An absolutely terrifying sequence, that ends on a most unexpected note.

Writer/director Ari Folman has created a horrific but poetic view of war and he makes a brilliant stylistic choice at the end of this picture that is startling, profound, and unforgettable. Why this absorbing film was not nominated for Best Animated Picture at the Oscars is beyond me.