Review of Munich (2005) by Stephen T — 10 Jul 2009
Thoughtful and thought provoking. Probably seen of as an anti war movie but it's a little more than that. In his introduction Spielberg makes it clear that it is a work of fiction, based on research, but there is no absolute proof that Israel's leaders took this action in revenge for the killing of the Israeli athletes in Munich.
Understandably violent given the subject matter. Spielberg shows the inadequacy of a simple analysis of the Jewish-Palestinian conflict. Brutality and hate is embedded in both parties and the consequences of the tit for tat killings is not only death for the participants and innocents, but extreme moral discomfort for the living. Avner's choice to accept the rules of his intelligence contact, the duplicitous Louis, opens him up to a life where he is no longer sure who he can trust. The shadowy, intertwined and morally ambiguous nature of intelligence operations becomes obvious and complicates the simple view of good vs evil.
This film is not a one sided analysis. It encourages a deeper consideration regarding the intractable problem of Israel and our response when others inflict pain on us. Vengeance may seem to be a good answer to being wronged but in Munich, Spielberg is clearly asking if this is so.
This review of Munich (2005) was written by Stephen T on 10 Jul 2009.
Munich has generally received very positive reviews.
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