“Waltz with Bashir” is a cinematic rarity.

Not because it’s a great film — it is — but because the very act of watching “Bashir” is an experience. The passive role of the viewer is rarely as important as the content itself.

“Waltz with Bashir” is an animated documentary. It depicts the stories of several Israeli soldiers during the 1982 Lebanon War and the subsequent Sabra and Shatila massacre, most notably the personal experience of the film’s Israeli director, Ari Folman.

“Bashir” begins in a bar, where Folman’s friend Boaz recounts a recurring nightmare. During the war, Boaz shot 26 dogs so their barking wouldn’t alert the enemy. So, every night, those 26 dogs come to his home for revenge.

Hearing his friend’s traumatic account, Folman realizes he has no memories of the war that haunt him at night.

In fact, despite being stationed next to the Sabra and Shatila massacre of innocent Palestinians, he has few memories of the war at all.

Realizing that his subconscious must have repressed the memories, he goes to find other soldiers who were with him in Lebanon and find out what happened.

Although Folman searches for answers about the war and the massacre, he knows he may find answers he doesn’t want to hear.

Instead of just giving spoken accounts, the film brings the audience to see events through animation as they are described.

The soldiers’ accounts are filled with hallucinations and false memories. Sometimes, their memories of the war are no more real than Folman’s. The animation depicts what the soldiers did and didn’t see.

A lot of filmmakers attempt to depict the horrors of war. Many of these attempts fail, as showcasing violence often glorifies it even more.

The fact that Folman saw so much death is not extraordinary — instead, he focuses on the emotional cost of war.

The animated war sequences are pretty, but the meat of the action is in the thought processes of the ex-soldiers. Folman’s therapist tells him of the photographer in the war, coping with the pain by seeing the war as a series of photos.

But when his camera broke, the war became unbearably real.

His story is a mirror of the audience. Because the images were drawn, seeing the war in Lebanon and the Shaba and Shatila massacre is tolerable.

Horrific images are passable because, to the audience, they are just animated drawings, like the photographer’s camera.

And when Folman takes the camera away, the reality is both disturbing and unforgettable.

Reach the reporter at cogino@asu.edu.