Waltz with Bashir begins when Folman's friend, Boaz Rein-Buskila, asks Folman to meet him for a late night drink at a bar. The two served in Lebanon together and Boaz has been having nightmares ever since. He tells Folman about a recurring dream involving a pack of angry dogs. During the war, Boaz had trouble shooting people; instead he was charged with the job of shooting dogs in raided towns so they wouldn't alert the residents. Understandably, the deed left Boaz shaken, and he confides in Folman that he still remembers the face of each dog he was ordered to shoot.
The two depart, but Folman is left with a curious psychological quandary. Boaz is haunted by his actions while Folman barely remembers the war. This prompts Folman to interview old friends (many played by themselves) and a psychologist in an attempt to determine why he is blocking out his memories. From here, the film takes a trippy, psychological quest in determining not just the truth, but also the nature of memory, and the hot-button topic of Israel's role in what happened.
Waltz with Bashir is a movie that could only work as an animated feature. The overall story is interesting but as a live action movie, it would amount to nothing but a bunch of people talking. The "hook" to keeping you interested in the story isn't just Folman's thoughts, but how the visual style manages to represent the dream-like state. In a sense, it's similar to when someone is telling you a story; you don't have all the visual pieces, but still manage to cobble something together.
At times the animation is rough, similar to something animated in Flash. Other times, things are rendered in 3D, but with a graphic novel quality (think Sin City, but not as dark). The style allows Waltz with Bashir to communicate slightly deeper meanings with the use of color and contrast.
Waltz with Bashir comes with a number of extras, including commentary by Folman. As a fan of stylized animation, hearing Folman discuss artistic choices alongside story elements is interesting. The animation process is further discussed in "Surreal Soliders." Here, a number of animators discuss their roles on the film and the film's animation process. This is further built upon with "Building the Scene," which shows how four scenes were constructed. If you're a fan of animation or a student, these are must watch features. Finally there's a short Q&A with Folman after one of the film's many festival screenings.
Waltz with Bashir is a distinctive, powerful film. Even if the subject matter isn't to your interest, the visual elements are enough to make this a must watch film.
