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Collection ID
631
Director:
Steven Spielberg
Starring:
Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, Hanns Zischler
Genre:
Drama
Studio:
Universal Studios
Release date:
2006
Rated:
R
Language (Country):
English, German, French, Hebrew, Arabic, Italian, Greek, Russian, Dutch
(France, Canada, USA)
Summary:
At its core, "Munich" is a straightforward thriller. Based on the book "Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team" by George Jonas, it's built on a relatively stock movie premise, the revenge plot: innocent people are killed, the bad guys got away with it, and someone has to make them pay. But director Steven Spielberg uses that as a starting point to delve into complex ethical questions about the cyclic nature of revenge and the moral price of violence. The movie starts with a rush. The opening portrays the kidnapping and murder of Israeli athletes by PLO terrorists at the 1972 Olympics with scenes as heart-stopping and terrifying as the best of any horror movie. After the tragic incident is over and several of the terrorists have gone free, the Israeli government of Golda Meir recruits Avner (Eric Bana) to lead a team of paid-off-the-book agents to hunt down those responsible throughout Europe, and eliminate them one-by-one (in reality, there were several teams). It's physically and emotionally messy work, and conflicts between Avner and his team's handler, Ephraim (Geoffrey Rush), over information Avner doesn't want to provide only make things harder. Soon the work starts to take its toll on Avner, and the deeper moral questions of right and wrong come into play, especially as it becomes clear that Avner is being hunted in return, and that his family's safety may be in jeopardy.
By all rights, "Munich" should be an unqualified success--it has gripping subject matter relevant to current events; it was co-written by one of America's greatest living playwrights (Tony Kushner, "Angels in America") and an accomplished screenwriter (Eric Roth); it stars an appealing and likeable actor in Eric Bana; and it was helmed by Steven Spielberg, of all people. While it certainly is a great movie, it falls just short of the immense heights such talent should propel it to. This is due more to some questionable plot devices than anything else (such as the contrived use of a family of French informants to locate the terrorists). But while certain aspects ring hollow, the movie as a whole is a profound accomplishment, despite being only "inspired by true events," and not factually based on them. From the ferocious beginning to the unforgettable closing shot, "Munich" works on a visceral level while making a poignant plea for peace, and issuing an unmistakable warning about the destructive cycle of terror and revenge. As one of the characters intones, "There is no peace at the end of this." "--Daniel Vancini"
My Rating:
My Review: It may not be 100% authentic/historically accurate or a documentary, but this movie was awesome. Realistic, hard hitting, nail biting and politically challenging. These are the sort of stories that are worth telling. Superb direction by Steven Spielberg, wonderful writing by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, and great acting by a cast that didn't try to steal the show. Real-life events. Palestinian terrorist group 'Black September' kidnapped and killed Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics of 1972. Fantasy world: The Israeli government commissions a secret hit-squad to take out the leaders who planned the attack in Munich. There may be no inside corroboration to this end of the story, but there's evidence that it occurred in a manner very much like that told in this movie. This movie had a lot of action, drama, suspense and tension. A retrospective, introspective, movie about the politics of murder. Violence always begets more violence. One of the best scenes in the whole movie? The parting shot. I've got to get a copy of this movie.
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