"Lebanon" Movie Trailer Review

"Lebanon"

Movie Trailer Review

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

Films about the war in the Middle East from the perspective of those from the Middle East are few and far between--at least the ones that actually manage to find a decent release in the United States are. So, it's refreshing to see a trailer for a film like "Lebanon," a film following a group Israeli soldiers inside of a tank tasked to rid hostile soldiers from a Lebanese town. The claustrophobic nature depicted in the trailer is very reminiscent of the Russian submarine film "Das Boot," and indeed, one review snippet in the film even says "The 'Das Boot' of tanks."

The film has received a good deal of attention, both for the numerous awards it has garnered (the Leone d'Oro at the Venice International Film Festival, specifically) and the controversy it's created in Israel.

It looks like quite an interesting film--the only shots at the outside of the tank appear to be brief and only through the sights of the gun turret. This makes the action rather unique, as it's depicted entirely from inside of the tank, reducing the action from spectacle into what it really is, just plain violence, as Samuel Maoz, its director, was primarily focused on creating an anti-war film.

Outside of the unique depiction of the action, the style itself seems rather low-key and dark, appropriate enough for its setting, and overall it looks to be a pretty engaging piece of work.

"Lebanon" will receive a limited release on August 6, 2010 in New York City and August 13 in Los Angeles, with a wider release likely to follow.

Below is the trailer for "Lebanon." What are your thoughts?