. . . exactly how UNDER THE BOMBS is a fair and balanced film that has a right to be exhibited in United States movie theaters, as opposed to pure hate speech propaganda from the folks who brought us 9-11, akin to the Neo-Nazi hate speech universally banned by all proper-thinking civilized countries. The one funeral scene shown in UNDER THE BOMBS actually is an anti-American hate rally, complete with chants of "Death to American, death to the Great Satan." It has been widely publicized by the world's most respected news organizations, such as 60 MINUTES, that 83% of the curriculum the alleged children victims being depicted in UNDER THE BOMBS consists of instilling a life-long hatred of Jews and Americans, which occasionally manifests itself in the form of kids younger than the dead ones in this movie (HOW they actually died--for instance, an anti-aircraft round falling short and hitting an ammo dump in a school gymnasium, one of the most likely possibilities TOTALLY IGNORED by director Philippe Aractingi) fatally ambushing peacekeepers on the border. Aractingi spends his entire film trying to make people such as Vanessa Redgrave feel sorry for what folks living in the Dark Ages apparently are inviting upon themselves in the most desperate ways (fueled by one of the world's highest birthrates, to support Pyrrhic "victories" based on tactics similar to those used by army ants). Unfortunately, a significant number of Oscar Awards voters and Hollywood fifth columnists insist on dragging Trojan horses such as UNDER THE BOMBS within the walls of Fortress America.

This was a very engrossing film about the immediate aftermath of the war in South Lebanon in 2006. The film starts with graphic footage of Israeli bombing of Lebanese towns and refugee camps: modern weaponry is not for the faint hearted. A well dressed woman (with interesting décolletage) arrives in Beirut. She is looking for her son and her sister who live in the south. She negotiates with a taxi driver to take her there. At first they spark off each other, not least as she is reticent about her background. The drive south through bomb damaged towns, villages, roads and bridges was quite chilling (as is essentially the whole film). In her home town, which has been flattened, it appears that her sister is dead and buried in a mass grave, but her son may have been rescued. The film follows her on the trail of her son, with her relationship with the taxi-driver slowly thawing. It appears she has just split from her husband, an international architect living in Dubai. They had sent their son home while they sorted themselves out, only for him to be caught in the war. They eventually locate him in a monastery, and have a dangerous drive across country to find him. Cruelly, it is a friend of the son, wearing his jacket: The boy, like his aunt had been killed in the bombing. Filmed on location immediately after the war, the film had, in the trite phrase, a shocking immediacy. The discussions between locals about what was going on were also illuminating: for most it wasn't their war, and Israel was where they wanted to be for work.

I did not think that the sex scene was awkward in the movie; I found it quite appropriate. It is clear that Tony is attracted to Zeina, so when a decent substitute comes along for him to express his sexual desire, it seems genuine. The innkeeper may have exaggerated on being scared of the wind, but in wartime there is a sense of alienation and a desire to unify, even if in the most banal ways. Tony is portrayed as a sort-of loner, working man. He initially helps Zeina most likely because of her beauty; I believe he was staring at her breasts when he first offered to help her. As the two bonded on their journey, Tony opened up about his past and became more sympathetic. This is the crux of the character development. The simplicity of the relationship and the romantic nuances exemplify the human spirit. In essence, Tony discovered that he didn't just want to "bang" Zeina, but he generally appreciated her for being herself. Likewise, Zeina became less guarded over time and looked to Tony for comfort, especially in the wake of her divorce and her newfound independence. Zeina had a desire to return to her roots and Tony, also being from the same region, comes to be a representation of her own identity.

This movie was chosen by filmmovement.com. Often I find the movies they chose to lack heart and leave the viewer bereft in some way. This is the exception. True, the subject matter is devastating. However, the way it is handled is so delicate that it somehow inherently contains a message of hope. I have seen this movie several times, and find that the characters have stuck with me. I've not gotten enough of them.. I want their story to continue. I will, however, caution the viewer: if you don't want your political consciousness raised, you must stay away from this movie. It in no way coerces the viewer; it simply offers such a different perspective, you can't help but be redirected in subtle ways. Well done to the entire cast and crew of this movie.