SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

Twilightfa Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

paul2001sw-1 'Beaufort' is set during the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon, but it isn't a film about the rights and wrongs of that conflict; instead, it focuses (without external judgement) on the reality, both mundane and terrifying, of Israeli soldiers, trying to do their jobs and stay alive at the same time. Indeed, the sense of being cut off from any sense of political or military strategy is palpable, and disheartening, even within the world of the film. Its low budget means that in places it has a (probably unintentionally) stylised feel, and perhaps not quite enough happens to drive two hours of plot. But the conversations between the men are awful yet feel utterly true, while the grey and misty environment feels more like the Scottish highlands than a stereotype of Middle Eastern desert. 'Beaufort' offers no easy answers; one can even suggest it asks no easy questions; but although you'll see slicker films, its merit lies in exactly these points.

eldino33 This film is not technically a war movie, it is about soldiers at war and the effects of war on soldiers. In a way, it is the same type of movie as A WALK IN THE SUN, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, and FULL METAL JACKET. It is not a movie about great wars, great battles or massive invasions, but one where there are long periods of inactivity punctuated with short periods of incomprehensible frenzy. The Left Elbow Index considers seven elements of film--acting, production sets, plot, character, character development, continuity, artistry, and dialogue--on a scale from a high of 10 to a low of 1, with an average movie rating a 5. It attempts to avoid emotional judgment based on the political elements of films such BEAUFORT, which like almost all Mideast films related to longstanding tensions tend to affect one's judgment of a film depending on which side of the conflict one finds oneself. The acting in this film looks reasonably good,it is measured, it is controlled, and the characters seem "real." The acting rates a 7. The production sets seem carefully constructed and authentic looking, there rating another 7. The plot seems average, a 5, with the main emphasis being on what will happen to the fort, and when. Another 5 for character development. The are some high points, but soldier's development can only go so far due to the implicit restraints of military service. Film continuity appears good, a 7, since the dramatic tone is constant. The use of high-tech equipment, the futility of war, and the eternal questions of war never leave the film. The artistry rate highest of all, an 8, due to the quality imagery and good cinematography. Also, Joseph Cedar's direction tends to focus directly on the main idea of each scene. In fact, in places, it causes the viewer to be as restless as the characters since one is unable to escape the tone of the moment. Dialogue is clever in spots, yet average overall--a 5. In a film where characters are ruled by a sense of duty, there is not much to say. The Left Elbow Index rating results in a 6.28, somewhat better than average. There are three concepts is this film which may drive you mad: duty has its price, our's not to question why, and military life amid changing orders. The film is well worth seeing, and I recommend it.

fvila Watching this movie I became slowly engrossed into the claustrophobic world it describes. At the end, I got a feeling that comes only very infrequently when watching movies, which is "Wow what an easy life I am living compared to these guys!". In this movie, death comes without warning, without background music, without philosophical introductions as to the nature of war,of mankind, or of good and evil. You hear the missiles coming in, but you never know which one will find its mark. There is no explicit message, that I could make out (but then I am not familiar with the political background). You can watch it as an anti-war movie, just as you can say it emphasizes the sacrifices of the Israeli soldiers. Anyway, the main point is beyond that, it is the reactions of human beings put under extreme stress. I saw this movie almost by accident and I was afraid it would be documentary and boring, but I really found it one of the best movies I have seen in a while.

vostf 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.