Beaufort

Review

Like Letters From Iwo Jima, the Israeli drama Beaufort dwells on the futility of war at the expense of a larger political context. It works. The film is set in and around the southern-Lebanon fortress (the name means �Beautiful Fort�) held by Israelis for eighteen years and in its final years frequently�and lethally�shelled by Hezbollah. The young Israeli men don’t look much like hardened soldiers and have no idea what they’re doing that far into Lebanon. But every once in a while one of them gets blown up�usually just after announcing plans for his future. The score is Eno-ambient�sad and creepy. You never see any Hezbollah fighters. It’s hard to breathe as the men wait for the final evacuation. Pro-war audiences on both sides will find Joseph Cedar’s vision irresponsible. I think Beaufort captures a higher irresponsibility. — David Edelstein

Related Stories

New York Magazine Reviews

• David Edelstein's Full Review (1/21/08)