I can't believe it's been a decade since i watched this in college. Even harder to believe that there is not a single review on it yet. This is not a very classic war film of an era that changed forever. The events take place in Beirut after the Israeli raid on the airport and after the death of Egyptian President Abdel Nasser in September 1970. It narrates the events through 4 characters coming from different faiths and social classes.
Maroun Baghdadi takes a slow-burn approach and naturally presents the events of the last days before the Civil War through conversations from different perspectives. His work is more of a personal film and we can see how he penetrates the psyche of the characters to warn about the future and the war to come. His prediction was right, and the beautiful Beirut was filled with mushroom smokes a year later.
There are so many great scenes in the film, and it is also incredibly intense on an emotional level without artificially exaggerated or manipulative. What is astonishing is the use of music and it helps in stringing together impressive scenes. You can't really sum up with few about the film itself, because if you look at it more closely, it's a misfired gem considering the budget and the political timeline. Despite the shortcomings mentioned, it is astonishing to witness the glory days of Beirut with great acting and solid soundtrack that radiates the melancholic mood. Highly recommended if you love world Cinema and respect an acute vision, do not skip this sincere effort of filmmaking. I would recommend it to arthouse fans, also check out his other films. I highly recommend Jocelyne Saab's Beirut Trilogy and Ziad Doueiri's West Beirut (1988) currently streaming on Netflix.
