MUNICH (2005)

An International Thriller About the Futility of Hatred

Grade: A

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In most movies about the struggles against wrongdoers, the line between good and evil is fairly solid, with some exceptions where the villains are mirror images of the heroes. Steven Spielberg’s Munich is not like that. Instead, it depicts revenge as a corrosive desire that can cause ever greater horror. Despite the evil and cruel acts committed by the antagonists at the opening, the movie eventually makes it clear that this atrocity is but one in a long series of violent exchanges between two countries. It is a potent film that tosses aside much of the overt sentimentalism its director is known for in favor of cold, hard reality.

The film centers on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, beginning with the infamous murders of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Israel’s Prime Minister Golda Meir (Lynn Cohen) chooses Mossad agent Avner Kaufman (Eric Bana) to lead a team of four Jews-Steve (Daniel Craig), Carl (Ciaran Hinds), Robert (Mathieu Kassovitz), and Hans (Hanns Zischler)-to hunt down and assassinate the eleven Palestinians who planned the attack. Each man is loyal to their cause, but their enthusiasm varies. As they pick off their victims across Europe, their mission encounters a few hiccups, including suspicions centered on their contact Louis (Mathieu Amalric) and the quality of their explosives. They also hear from several Palestinians-one of whom is a target-of the hardships faced by their own people at the hands of Israel. Eventually the hunters become the hunted and as their numbers dwindle, some of the assassins-especially Avner-are left grappling with their fear and the morality of their mission.

As is typical for a Steven Spielberg film, Munich is extremely well-made. The moments of violence are shocking, the suspense great, and the cinematography impressive; Director of Photography Janusz Kaminski, a long-time collaborator of Spielberg’s, infuses the film with a soft-focus, almost grainy aesthetic, similar to what he used for War of the Worlds, which was released the same year. Eric Bana delivers an impressive performance as Avner, especially in the movie’s closing moments where he looks absolutely drained and ashen, even somewhat maniacal, after the horrors he experienced.

But these qualities take a major backseat to the central themes of the movie, which go in contrast to those of another Spielberg drama, Schindler’s List (1993). Where that film placed the viewer directly into the perspective of the persecuted Jews of the Holocaust, Munich puts the viewer both inside and outside the conflict looking in. The revenge killings by the protagonists mostly consist of bombings, which essentially makes them acts of terror themselves, despite their best efforts to avoid civilian casualties. Some of their victims are shown prior to their deaths to be polite and courteous outside of their occupations, adding to the realistic tone of the movie. And as their mission progresses, the two countries continue their violent exchanges, with Israeli embassies being attacked and casualties mounting. With each killed victim eventually being replaced, the men start to suspect that their efforts may be futile. Even in the final flashback to the attack, the Palestinian terrorists look slightly doubful before killing their hostages. In these ways, Munich vividly illustrates the well-known facts that violence begets violence and that in any war, neither side is innocent.

It can be easy, especially today, to dismiss Munich as antisemitic based on the actions by the main characters. But its protagonists are certainly not depicted as evil, just loyal to their country. And as previously mentioned, some of them become hesitant to kill Palestinians, even as some Palestinians may be hesitant to kill Israelis. And that is the whole idea of the movie: although it condemns the actions of the Palestinian terrorists, it also illustrates an example of international hatred and its destructive effects instead of demanding that the audience hate one side or the other. At the same time, it does not offer an easy compromise since there is really no simple way to resolve such a bitter and long-standing feud. This makes Munich a truly thought-provoking film and an important entry in Steven Spielberg’s filmography.

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Director: Steven Spielberg

Producers: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Barry Mendel, Colin Wilson

Screenplay: Tony Kushner, Eric Roth (Based on the book Vengeance by George Jonas)

Cast: Eric Bana (Avner Kaufman), Daniel Craig (Steve), Sam Feuer (Yosef Romano), Ciaran Hinds (Carl), Omar Metwally (Ali), Mathieu Kassovitz (Robert), Hanns Zischler (Hans), Ayelet Zurer (Daphna Kaufman), Gila Almagor (Avner's Mother), Michael Lonsdale (Papa), Mathieu Amalric (Louis), Lynn Cohen (Golda Meir)

Rated: R (strong graphic violence, some sexual content, nudity and language)