A freewheeling portrayal of the adventures of a resourceful and irreverant teenager in the early stages of the civil war that divided Beirut in two, West Beirut is an assured, but flawed debut work from Lebanese writer-director Ziad Doueiri. Much will be made of Doueiri's apprenticeship as Quentin Tarantino's assistant cameraman, but the connection is unfair and misleading. Largely autobiographical, West Beirut is less stylised and more naturalistic than any Tarantino film.
Set in 1975, the film is kick-started by the outbreak of civil war in Lebanon. Self-assured class clown Tarek (played by the director's charismatic younger brother, Rami Doueri), is excluded from the classroom just in time to witness the bloody massacre of 30 bus passengers marking the start of the conflict. With school closed -- apparently for good -- the war subsequently grants Tarek and his friend Omar (Mohamad Chamas) unbridled freedom to discover friendship, adventure and, in the shape Tarek's new Christian neighbour May (Rola Al Amin), the opposite sex. The only downside seems to be that the store which develops their Super 8 films is suddenly in a designated "no go" area, and a mission to drop off a film quickly turns into a threatening showdown with border militia. If the teenagers' worries are trivial in the face of falling bombs, they are certainly authentic.
But while Doueiri's film convincingly conveys his very personal interpretation of the events in Lebanon in 1975, West Beirut is perhaps too subjective. With its digressions and moments of inconsequential high drama the plot, like the city it portrays, is prevented from moving forward. Sadly, it's as if in service to his truth, Doueri has failed his film.
Reader comments about West Beirut
Rabih Kaysi (ralkaisi@ocean.otr.usm.edu) writes:
Marvelous, a movie that made me laugh and weep at the end.I was moved by all the captured details and accurate description of war time Beirut.
I am a Lebanese living in the states. 12 years after the war I began to forget the horror and laughter we had during those intense street fights.
I will recomend this movie to every Lebanese who is beginning to forget what war was all about and like.
Good work!
rebecca o'keefe (carrots21@juno.com) writes:
I love this movie. It's really cool to see what the Lebanese Civil War looked like from the inside out, from someone who was there. The story was really good. The whole thing, the dialogue, everything was really engaging. The acting was perfect. Movie-wise the only thing i would complain about would be the ending. Noone ever said everything has to be resolved in the end, but it felt like it ended mid-sentence. I still really love this movie and show it to everyone i know. Mohamed Chamas was really good in this,
I hope he acts in other movies as well.
Yara Fahmi (Email address withheld) writes:
I consider West Beirut as one of the best movies that I have seen. Actually, I got the chance to watch it in a film class and by the end of it I was in a state of confusion with me feeling so strange.The acting of the 3 young actors was brilliant.As an Arab, I am so proud of this movie.
angel seijas (jailai@terra.es) writes:
Hermosa pelicula, que muestra una real social y que realmente me impresionó. Totalmente recomendable. ¿Muere al final la madre del protagonista? Si alguien me puede ayudar que me mande un e-mail.
Thanks
Ali Soltanshahi (alito_74@yahoo.com) writes:
I saw this movie last night, It was one of the best movies I have seen in the past few years. The movie was so realistic, showing the true tragedy that the country was going through, and how people were still trying to make the best of it (the two teen agers)... how they were innocent, and how they changed.
The story was amazing, the actors fabulous...
I am going to buy this movie.
;)
alito
viviane (Email address withheld) writes:
magnificient.I am a lebanese student in
France.I was born during the war and
lived it.I enjoyed seeing it.Natural
acting attracted me first.
One thing was and becomes more and more
absent:LOVE.that's the key.
merci beaucoup ziad
Glenda Coto Meckbel (Email address withheld) writes:
Muy bien hecha. Definitivamente vale la pena verla una y otra vez. La calidad de actuación de los actores adolescentes es impresionante, a pesar de ser novatos. Se aprende y se vive el tema de la guerra civil en Líbano. La recomiendo a todos aquellos que quieran saber más sobre Líbano, su situación política e historia y también a los que quieran pasar una hora y resto bien pasada y aprovechada.
Que la disfruten!!
Jenny Smithe (Email address withheld) writes:
I really enjoyed this movie and felt it was an honest portrayal of the Lebanese civil war. The director's style was very engaging as I found myself laughing in one scene and feeling extremely sad in the next. I highly recommend this film to anyone wishing to learn more about Lebanese history.
Jason Tabbara (telistrat@rogers.com) writes:
Fabulous! So Real!
I lived it. I was born in Canada October 7, 1973 and we moved to Beirut in 1979. I saw the horrors and lived it. We were smuggled out of Beirut back to Canada in 1984. The director Ziad Doueiri and I have way too much in common. My family was also in the Mourabitoun. I love this movie! It brought me tears and joy at the same time. I re-lived it all over again.
EXCELLENT!!
Jason
firas daaboul (daaboulfiras@hotmail.com) writes:
The movie is not meant to be a documentary of the lebanese civil war.
Ziad Doueiri definitely succeded in reproducing the horor and madness of the war in a way which combined both humor and tragedy.But the focus in the movie is not the places and the material damage caused by the war.Its more personal in scope.
The acting couldnt be more natural and spontaneous and real!its simply a piece of art which qualifies to compete with the best independent movies produced elsewhere.
thank you ziad!
ava (Email address withheld) writes:
this movie was amazing, i am struck by the relationship of the parents in particular... and the young boy who plays tarek was fabulous. kudos to ziad. this made me interested more not only in film fromt his area but the civil war.
sal (Email address withheld) writes:
West beirut was a very good movie. I lived in beirut for 3 years and still during the movie I would feel the urge to return. I can say this movie really touched me and reminded me of where I really come from. props to Ziad and I hope the lebanese movies keep comin'
Adrian van Lidth de Jeude (Email address withheld) writes:
West Beirut is a wonderful movie, that acuratly displays the true horror of civil war, yet is balanced by the humanity of its characters. Brilliantly acted, this movie lets its audience begin to understand the tradgedy of the civil war while not forgetting the power of friendship and laughter.
Hilal (premo_romano@hotmail.com) writes:
Good Movie! A Swedish/Lebanese Director named fares fares here in Sweden have almost copyed the film but made it a lot better buy blowing a whole lot more money on it, he got pretty high budget too make this movie appear as real ass possible. He suceeded with it and made it the number 1 top movie at the Cinema here in Sweden. The movie title is (Zozo), its based on true story about a kid surviving the beiruth war and how he made it too Sweden. Unbeliveble good story and the war, bombings as all the action sequences gives you goosebums. It reminded me a lot of my childhood, in the 1980:s. See it.
@lias (Email address withheld) writes:
this mvie is funny,but the end jst leaves u hanging, these kids r obviously not perfecting the lebanese accent or arabic one, they have slight frenchie tongue. but a strong mvie!loved the loud crazy women that curses 42/7
Add your comments about West Beirut [About]
