Beaufort (2008) Movie Information:

Beaufort (2008) Directed by: Joseph Cedar Beaufort (2008) Written by: Ron Leshem, Joseph Cedar Beaufort (2008) Cast: Oshri Cohen, Itay Tiran, Eli Altonio, Ohad Knoller, Itay Turgeman, Arthur Perzev, Itay Schor, Danny Zahavi, Ami Weinberg, Hanan Yishai, Gal Friedman, Alon Abutbul

Beaufort (2008) U.S. Distributor: Not available at this time Beaufort (2008) U.K. Distributor: Trinity Filmed Entertainment

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Beaufort (2008) Synopsis:

Liraz (Cohen) is only 22 years old but has been put in charge of the soldiers guarding the Israeli outpost at Beaufort, a 12th century Crusader fortress. In 2000, after 18 years occupation, the Israelis are preparing to withdraw from the fort, and Liraz and his men are all beginning to feel overwhelmed by a conflicting mix of emotions. As they wait in a kind of limbo, an expert (Knoller) arrives to check out a roadside bomb while the Hezbollah continues to drop mortar shells into the outpost.

Beaufort (2008) Movie Review:

A riveting depiction of combat-zone terror, this film's main strength is its understatement. A moody, muted tone lets the sharply detailed performances carry us through the somewhat over-constructed plot.

Liraz (Cohen) is only 22 years old but has been put in charge of the soldiers guarding the Israeli outpost at Beaufort, a 12th century Crusader fortress. In 2000, after 18 years occupation, the Israelis are preparing to withdraw from the fort, and Liraz and his men are all beginning to feel overwhelmed by a conflicting mix of emotions. As they wait in a kind of limbo, an expert (Knoller) arrives to check out a roadside bomb while the Hezbollah continues to drop mortar shells into the outpost.

The story is based on first-hand accounts of life in the last few months of the occupation, so the events have a ring of truth even when the screenwriters indulge in a few cinematic formulae. Director-cowriter Cedar effectively puts us into the shoes of the soldiers, and we feel their claustrophobia as they risk their lives pointlessly to hold a position that's already been conceded. And there's also a strong sense that, as dangerous as it is, this is their home, and they're strangely reluctant to leave.

This is all conveyed in a subtle, introspective style by a very realistic cast of young actors. Flares of anger and raw emotion are as unexpected as the bombs that explode nearby, and the actors also convey a terrific sense of black humour throughout the film. Some sections are drenched in flat-out comedy, while at other times the film feels like sci-fi (the isolated outpost with endless underground tunnels) or even a gritty slasher-horror (as they seem to be dying one-by-one).

And even more powerful is the way the film makes a quiet comment on the nature of war, with a military machine that's so caught up in its system that it forgets that there are human beings running things on the ground. The incompetence, lost orders, delays and ludicrous decisions are simply appalling. And as the film builds to its chilling and terrifying climax, all of this complexity pays off in a remarkably moving way.

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Beaufort (2008) review written by: Rich Cline