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The Worst Film Ever

Such a frustrating disappointment

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Beaufort is that rarity among war films – one with the subject matter of retreat and a (at least implied) defeat of sorts. As such it falls in with such earlier and illustrious company as Ford's They Were Expendable (1945) - a generation and continent away perhaps, but which also showed the camaraderie that can develop at the anti-climactic close of a military campaign. Unlike Ford's work, with its unspoken certainty of eventual victory, director Joseph Cedar's Beaufort is a portrait of military inertia and inevitable pointlessness, at least as experienced by its small band of combatants. Conversely it's a million miles away from such films as Black Hawk Down where it's suggested gung ho bravery can some way appease for operational ineptitude and loss. If it's true that most history is written by the victors, then Cedar's film and its ilk ought to be treasured as offering a truer and more convincing alternative - even if, as in Beaufort's case, the results are criticised by local critics for being 'left wing' and 'defeatist'.Co-adapted for the screen by its author Ron Lesham, the film concerns a group of soldiers guarding a mountaintop in Lebanon shortly before the Israeli withdrawal in 2000. Beaufort Mountain is a place with particular historical significance, both as twelfth century crusader castle and a more recent, hard-won Israeli military capture - although it's quickly apparent that the value is more symbolic than strategic. Frequently shelled by the Hezbollah, guessing perhaps that the IDF is about to pull out, the outpost is isolated, the garrison depressed, with an unclear purpose.As the film starts, Beaufort's soldiers are joined by Ziv (Ohad Knoller), sent to investigate a new-style explosive device found on the road. During the opening scenes of the film there's some anticipation in subject matter of the recent Hurt Locker, but matters shortly take a different course after the first traumatic event. It turns out that the central character of Cedar's film is not the bomb expert but the introspective and honourable Commander Liraz (Oshri Cohen). A man who "can't believe someone gave him the job", whose increasing guilt and disillusionment at his responsibilities make up the core of the narrative.It has to be said that Beaufort is rather a glum film, shot in claustrophobic interiors, often at night. This may be an accurate representation of warfare under such circumstances but although Cedar, like Ford, admirably avoids sentimentality he fails to fill the space left with any real pathos and poetry, although showing successful empathy with his characters. Neither is there much, if any, black humour to provide contrast. When not on guard duty, or dodging incoming rockets, the soldiers are normally in their bunker-like environment – the corridors of which at times remind one of a spaceship without an alien - gloomily interacting with each other. The military installation on Mount Beaufort, largely empty and of questionable purpose, becomes a symbol of their whole mission, perhaps even more so than the plaque hanging there celebrating recent war dead. The camp stands in contrast to the remains of the original castle, visited at one point by several of the soldiers while in contemplative mood: the earlier construction had a far more distinguished point and still seems to be a source of strength.Where Beaufort scores is through its representation of a soldier's life when trapped between duty and political inertia, even though it's implied withdrawal from political engagement can be seen both as a strength and weakness. Instead of confrontation, it relies upon the unspoken rage of the morally dispossessed. In one telling scene, we see Ziv watching on TV an interview with the parent of one of his fallen comrades. The commander's slow tapping with a lighter on the table, an insistent accompaniment to the points being made on the small screen (that a parent's duty is to ensure his offspring are better aware of the value of life), is like a military tattoo for a friend's funeral cortege and though him, honour itself. Ziv, the loyal soldier, cannot overtly question his predicament, but the ironic beat over coverage of events inevitably offers commentary.Writer-director Cedar's previous two films Ha-Hesador (aka: Time of Favor, 2000) and Madurat Hashevet (aka: Campfire, 2004) both engaged with social and political aspects of the modern Jewish state, sometimes with controversial elements. In this latest one he provides another well-wrought and thoughtful piece, worth seeking out, even if it does not pretend to offer any answers. But perhaps that is the point: answers are always hard to find, let alone agree on, in such circumstances.

Beaufort is an extraordinary portrayal of soldiers at war. This claustrophobic film charts the final days of the Israeli Defence Force's 18-year occupation of the Beaufort, a strategic hilltop fortress in southern Lebanon. Nearly all of the action takes place within the confines of this fortress (television is one of few windows onto the outside world). The soldiers in the Beaufort never once see the Hezbollah militants who are trying to kill them, but they face regular bombardments from enemy artillery. Director Joseph Cedar sets a slow and meditative pace and, though the film looks and feels very realistic from a military point of view, with unsettling explosions and startling sound effects, the emphasis is firmly on the human characters and relationships in this increasingly precarious outpost.At the beginning of the film, the arrival of the bomb disposal expert, Ziv, allows us to enter the world of the soldiers who inhabit the Beaufort. Their boredom and indifference is palpable, from the tired announcements of 'incoming, incoming' as mortar shells rain down, to the wry humour of the soldiers on night watch. There is a sense of disillusionment with the armed forces; of the futility of guarding an outpost won many years ago and now serving little strategic purpose. Ziv, the new arrival, confesses to Liraz, the squad leader, that he sought an assignment at the Beaufort in order to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, who fought during the capture of the fortress some 18 years previously. Through Ziv's fate and Liraz's meeting with Ziv's uncle we see how generations have fought one after the other and sacrificed themselves for hollow glories. The 12th-century Crusader fort that sits adjacent to the soldiers' compound is a telling reminder of the futile perpetuity of the Middle Eastern conflict.In the early stages of the film we see how close the soldiers are to one another. When one soldier announces that he is leaving, he receives hugs and congratulations from his fellows. However, when the first enemy missile hits the fortress it becomes clear that the enemy's strength is increasing and the film becomes much darker in tone. The soldiers grieve openly for their fallen comrades and those that survive are shaken and sometimes openly afraid. At the same time, they show quiet, grudging bravery in volunteering for the most dangerous jobs. The military response to the mounting casualties is a telling reflection of modern warfare. With enemy propaganda in mind, the IDF decides to minimise casualties by withdrawing from the Beaufort, but keeps the soldiers on tenterhooks by withholding information and delaying their departure.The ordinary soldiers occupying the fortress look forward to their escape and often talk of re-visiting the site one day as tourists. But Liraz, the squad leader, is a man apart. An intriguing and enigmatic character, he is, in the words of one of his men, 'a man who can't believe they gave him the job.' He is oddly attached to the Beaufort in a way quite unlike his men and he struggles to imagine a life after it – indeed there are few hints of any life for him outside the fortress. He shows remarkable bravery and compassion for his men in the last days of the occupation, but he has his limits and is thus something of an outsider and a disappointment in their eyes. In one of the strongest scenes, Liraz orders Shpitzer, a budding musician, to play a song for the other soldiers; this provides catharsis for them as they grieve a fallen comrade, but Liraz assumes an oddly distant look. Oshri Cohen deserves great credit for his performance as Liraz: it is the foremost amongst many fine performances in this film.A special mention must also go to Ishai Adar's soundtrack, one of the most effective that I have heard in a long time. The music subtly adds emotional weight to the film and creates tension by building up slowly and dropping away at the right moments.

I think that rating films out of 10 is a little futile, as what may stir one person may leave another cold. With that disclaimer set then let me say this about Beaufort: Yes this is a war film, in the sense that the characters are soldiers. It is however, in my opinion far more of a character study than most films in the genre. Full Metal Jacket has been mentioned as a comparable work, and I can understand the comparisons. The internal turmoil of the characters is portrayed with similar verve, and the swings at provoking the big questions have similar merit. Where Kubrick's film veers into the slightly surreal to deliver it's message, Beaufort stairs straight ahead into the stark reality of it's particular war time situation, and this is perhaps the fork in the road where the two films part company. This very tangible starkness is what enables the film to deliver such a telling experience, life and death laid bare for all to see and attempt to comprehend. It is one of the quintessential artistic topics, and Beaufort approaches it admirably. The viewing experience may not be as exhilarating as Saving Private Ryan or Platoon, and it certainly lacks the surrealistic glee of Full Metal Jacket, but Beaufort had me contemplating it's content long after I watched it. It had me writing this review, something that I have not done for any of the films I mention in reference to Beaufort, despite their qualities. In conclusion I would thoroughly recommend Beaufort to anyone that enjoys cerebral films, and if you particularly enjoy war films then I would also recommend Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" as another excellent war film that is similarly thought provoking.

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.