“Very upsetting.  Are the Israelis ready to face their past?”

“All war is awful.  All intelligent and creative works of art that remind us of this are so crucial.”

“This would bore me even if excellent actors were doing it.  The subject deserved better.”

“War destroys and diminishes all. When will we ever learn?”

“Thank you John for providing past background.  I agree that we needed more of that in the film!  Animation becomes real after about a minute!”

“A wake up film with a psychological purge for the main character just in time for Chanukah.  This is an amazing look into an Israeli soldier’s guilt and how he pieces together a long buried experience.  I loved this unusual format and the startling opening of the vicious dogs.”

“Very upsetting, but very good.”

Yesterday’s friends are today’s enemies. This WALTZ WITH BASHIR was yesterday’s USA support of the Afghan rebels against The Russians, look where that got us. A terrific film, a cross-genre mix of animation, documentary, drama – and a powerful punch at the end of the actual footage of the atrocities. As the memories finally emerge to became real for the character it became real for us. Please let us learn.”

“Amazing animation!  Thank you for a thought provoking creative sensitive end of our season.”

“What lovely holiday fare!  Good music.”

“Excellent film!  Anti-war seen through lenses of a specific atrocity.  Excellent treatment of memory, the blockage due to trauma and pathways to unleash memory and deal with quilt.  I appreciated discussion regarding specific technological elements of animation.”

“Very slow moving.  I did not like the animation.  Not informative enough about background.”

“Powerful.  Somewhat showing Palestinians as strictly victims.  Hatred towards the Palestinians was the result of years of terror by PLO not only against Israel, but also on Christian Lebanese-Arabs.  Felt like Vietnam.”

“What an opening, the dogs of war.  Brilliantly done.  THE THIN RED LINE, HOTEL REWANDA, BLOOD DIAMOND, KILLING FIELDS… all those anti war films and it still goes on.  A very powerful psychological journey.  This film deals with so many issues that are also facing our soldiers upon returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  It shows how unprepared for war 18 and 19 year olds are.  This film has so many levels - personal, psychological, historical, etc.  The lead's exploration of his lack of memories was fascinating.  What is known, what is not wanted to be known.  Bringing out the research about planted memory was very interesting.  Brilliantly constructed.  It just touches on what young soldiers must deal with and how unprepared for reality.”

“The animation was wonderful.  The opening scene dramatically expresses the message of the film, violence.  An Israeli anti-war film, wonderful.”

“Confusing and disorganized.  I could not follow what was going on or why.  I disliked this film.  War is horrible, but we know that already, I hope.”

“It was if a wonderful story teller was telling this story and I was sitting back and this is how I saw the characters.  I found it more realistic than any real war movie.”

“Slaughter set against Bach and Chopin was very gut grabbing.  Fear of boys in battle must be universal.  As well as the difference in each person’s memory.”

“I dislike animation.  It was very slow moving.”

“Emotionally draining.  Difficult subject, war is hell.”

“Powerful presentation of the psychology of dealing with horrific acts one has witnessed and or participated in.  The switch at the end to live people returning to their village to see and deal with the courage will stay with me for quite a while.”