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49 out of 62 people found the following review useful:
Among the best of war films, 29 July 2007
9/10
Author: Paul Martin from Melbourne, Australia

I'm not a fan of the war genre, but Beaufort plays out more as a psychological thriller, and I find it hard to fault. There was an amazing blend of naturalism, stylistic devices, humour, touching human drama and suspense - at one time I jumped in my seat like I never have before.

The camera movements and cinematography are excellent and reinforce a sense of claustrophobia as a group of Israeli soldiers keep guard at an historic fort within southern Lebanon, but are virtually under siege by Hezbollah forces. Character development is also excellent with much authenticity. The film focuses on the idiosyncrasies of various characters and how they interact with each other under the circumstances. Respect for the commanding officer is sometimes lacking, resulting in a lack of discipline and friction at a difficult time.

I count this film as one of my favourite films in the genre, kind of a cross between Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket and Sam Mendes' Jarhead, and as good as either of these. Like these two films, there is an understated political critique in how young men are pawns in the games played by those who live comfortably away from the field of battle and death. Whether you like war films or not, this is must-see cinema.

I saw the film's screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

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57 out of 90 people found the following review useful:
Very strong with a few superficial flaws, 30 March 2007
10/10
Author: Daniel Oz from Israel

In 1982, Israel was forced to invade southern Lebanon in self defense after repeated attacks. But after holding a buffer zone for 18 years, with increasing casualties caused by a strengthening Hezbollah, the army's presence there began to seem pointless.

This is a story about soldiers stationed at an outpost in Lebanon just before the eventual withdrawal in 2000. It manages to raise many valid moral and existential questions without getting preachy or politically partisan. Beaufort is a strong film that really sticks in your mind afterwards. The dialogues spoken by the soldiers is very true to life and the movie is highly authentic in every respect. It is well directed, the cast is good across the board, and the visuals are persuasive and gripping. But most of all, Beaufort succeeds in giving you a real sense of the fear and suspense of being a sitting duck for Hezbollah rocket-launchers to fire at. It is utterly nerve-wrecking.

Minor flaws include the customary setting-up of a character's personality just before he gets killed, to make you mourn his loss more, but such obvious manipulations are few and don't significantly hurt the movie.

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33 out of 46 people found the following review useful:
A fantastic work of art from the ever growing Israeli cinema, 28 August 2007
9/10
Author: from Israel

This movie is simply amazing - but as mentioned else where - might be extremely problematic for the non Israeli, non IDF serving audience. Despite that - the movie has a universal notion that shines through: occupation wars that last for years on end with no clear objective except to stay in the occupied land cannot be won. This is hardly even war - its the use of naive young men, using their sense of patriotism and love for their country and willingness to serve it for a twisted, outdated political machination that ends up killing them and putting them in impossible situations. The movie was criticized for being far too left winged, but I view it as mostly right winged - it shows the camaraderie of soldiers, the bonds that can only be created, or so it seems, in a close knit military unit. Also - there are no women in the movie, not even by voice - which further serves to show a society built on macho-ism and the devotion for young men and their sacrifices to the country. There are no talks of peace here, no talk about negotiations or even viewing the enemy as human. There is only running away or fighting. Despite all that - the movie captures a sense of reality, filled with all variants of humor and pain and longing to get home that captured me completely. I served 4 years in the IDF and this movie manages to get to the core, to the essence of the unbelievable situation of serving, fighting and dieing without knowing why, without seeing any goal or reason in the madness - only following orders.

This is one of the best Israely movies created - if you have any interest in Israely cinema, regardless of your political or other views, don't miss it.

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36 out of 52 people found the following review useful:
One of the most beautiful israeli films ever, 4 May 2007
8/10
Author: nir661 from Israel

Beaufort is an impressive israeli movie with fantastic photography and With excellent cast but some of the scenes are stuck and prolonged too Much. Beaufort is a movie that make you look on the other side of the war,of the mental and the physical side of the soldiers.it makes you understand the difficulties,dilemmas and the unbearable fear with some excellent And Impressive action scenes that makes us feel the soldier's situation in the war. This is a movie that can show the world the condition and the position of the Israelis soldiers that know the Israeli-Palestine conflict and can show the human side in the war and not only the wild and savage side.

There aren't any real winners at war but there are real injured and dead soldiers and people.This movie show you.

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29 out of 39 people found the following review useful:
a remarkable war movie with a cinematic style that actually says something original about war, 6 June 2007
10/10
Author: rob68 from USA

Beaufort is a remarkable war movie, with a cinematic style that really says something about the war and the situation in which the troops are in. the story is told through the eyes of the main character, Liraz, who's awareness of himself and the nature of the battle he's in gradually deepens into a sharp and original view on war and fear of death. the tension that is created throughout the film is a result not of fast paced action events, but through a series of scenes that takes the viewer into the world of this outpost, with all its claustrophobia, and mixed emotions that include the thrill of danger and numbness toward tragedy, but also simple fear that cannot be overcome. I recommend this movie to everyone.

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27 out of 37 people found the following review useful:
Beaufort, Israeli genius at the International Film Festival 2007, 2 October 2007
10/10
Author: Rachel Enevoldsen

This film has just been aired on the Copenhagen International Film Festival and of all the Israeli films available, this was the one I was - not - going to see, and yet I did.

It is still only a few days, since I saw it, but the images return and the sheer originality in terms of being a 'war movie' coupled with the usual Jewish genius of making a point: in short comment, dry humor, body language, tone of voice, well chosen repetition i.e. the monotonous, almost dead, tone over a loudspeaker from the lookouts stationed to warn against 'incoming, incoming' missiles, which after explosion were commented on by,'impact, impact'.

After the third or fourth of these 'scenes' I suddenly felt a wave of claustrophobia and fear, which these young Israeli soldiers must have felt being stuck on a mountain top, without a visual enemy, and only lookouts to rely on for their own lives and safety, 'incoming, incoming' - crash, bang -'impact, impact' - it was unnerving.

This film is a must for anyone - also those who like me, are not war buffs, because it is not about war. It is about a lot of things. Reality, how to handle anxiety, frustration, loss, grief, in a tight and stuck environment, with no relief in sight, (Israel itself?) It is about individuality in terms of different personalities, backgrounds, political opinions who have to make it work and who do in their own humorous, gentle, aggressive, accepting way. It is about men and a male attitude which I have not witnessed for over thirty years,(and sorely missed); the honesty and humanity of men, and it is about exile.

The one lifeline to the home country; a dirt road, has been blocked by a strange explosive device for about a month, and this is where the film starts, with the bomb squad arriving at the outpost, to identify and disarm the device, so that the outpost can receive supplies once again...and a whole 'different' story is touched upon.

I could go on for hours about this film, and not in a very logical way, since all the 'points' haven't been connected yet, it has so many layers. This what I call genius - 'layering' and this is what I look for in Israeli film and this year it was Beaufort, who delivered. Go and see it.

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16 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
"...so it doesn't escape", 17 June 2007
8/10
Author: circusanimals from New Zealand

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I just saw this last night at the Sydney Film Festival and want to let you know what I thought about it. It is a movie about boredom, fear and leadership, set - as I understand it - in the last days of the Israeli occupation of the buffer zone in Southern Lebanon.

The Beaufort of the title is a hilltop fortress used a forward position by the Israeli Defense Forces, and, as the name suggests, was built by the Crusaders in the 12th Century. Because of its history, the site is respected or sacred to both Israel and the Arabs, and has become a symbol of bravery. For that reason, both sides try to ensure the ruins of the original fortress are not damaged, and it becomes a character in the movie as the leader of the small group soldiers left to defend it describes how he feels almost physically prevented from leaving. The scene of the soldiers finally departing has the feeling of a captain wanting to go down with his ship.

To get to that point though, the soldiers must survive in their cramped conditions against the increasing attacks by the unseen Hezbollah - who want to make the Israeli withdrawal look like a Hezbollah victory, the indecision and delays from their superiors - who may be waiting for a political solution as they face pressure from the Four Mothers Movement to remove troops from the Security Zone, and their own isolation - especially as any attempt at character development results in that character being the next one to die.

And there is humour to illustrate the futility of their mission, as two Shakespearean characters explain that they are "guarding the mountain...so it doesn't escape."

It is a political movie: made clear with the intervention of the father of one of the dead soldiers. In fact, I understand that a representative of the Israeli government was booed during his introduction of the movie (which I missed) at the Sydney Film Festival. Was anyone there? What did he say?

I'll leave it others in this forum to discuss the politics and reality of the events, but, judging it as a piece of movie making, it is well-written, well-acted, and well-directed, and deserves to do well at the box office. Seek it out.

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24 out of 38 people found the following review useful:
Saw it in Tel Aviv in April--very much worth the effort of tracking it down, 31 August 2007
8/10
Author: jasonwwright from Canada

Considering the sanitized pulp that the United States military participates in the filming of, it is refreshing to see a movie about soldiers that rings true and does not shy away from controversy. The IDF must also be commended for actively participating in the making of a film that does not shine the best light on the occupation of southern Lebanon.

Ultimately it is Israeli politicians and inept commanders that take the brunt of the blame for the appalling conditions the soldiers portrayed in this movie endure while holding on to their mountain top position.

Hezbollah obviously plays a part in this story, yet they are an unseen presence. They are always just out of the frame and sporadically, sometimes shockingly so, they remind everyone involved of their lethal potential.

Set aside your preconceived notions of the Israeli-Arab conflict and see this movie.

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17 out of 27 people found the following review useful:
War is absurd. Great, thanks for mentioning it., 31 March 2008
3/10
Author: vostf from Paris, Fr

Beaufort doesn't pretend to cater for all audiences, right. It only aims to be a rendition of how the soldiers lived (and occasionally died) in the Beaufort outpost during the final days of the 18-year Israeli presence there. I reckon this rendition is really good: dialog, characters, actors, settings, photography.

Yet the movie is totally uninteresting: doesn't provide insight on the conflict, on human nature... on anything with a larger scope than Israeli soldiers on duty there and then. You know, soldiers have to be very special characters or to do something really special, else they are only public servants working their shift until it's time to come home. Maybe people in Israel will like Beaufort because it speaks of themselves and for themselves but universally speaking it is a very anecdotal movie, thus almost entirely uninteresting.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Pointless and Boring, 8 August 2009
3/10
Author: Mike B from Canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This movie is about a group of Israeli soldiers during the end of the occupation in Lebanon. They are on mountaintop where there is a castle called 'Beaufort'. There is a lot of soldier talk, missiles are launched by Hezbollah and a few soldiers are killed. That's about it. Character development is limited and the soldiers are pretty interchangeable. Very little empathy is felt for these soldiers. In the end they blow up this historical fort – a 'shock and awe' – it's all morally pointless.

The movie is lengthy and suffers from the worst of movie sins it's simply boring - not a whole lot happens. There is little in the way of story and I fail to see the point of this movie. This is no 'Saving Private Ryan'.

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