It
may not meet the standards of some groups as to its historical accuracy, but
Steven Spielberg's (War of the Worlds,
The Terminal)
Munich nevertheless is engaging and thought-provoking moviemaking of the
highest order. Munich marks the second time that the aftermath of
the fatal 1972 Munich Olympic Games, where several Israeli athletes were taken
hostage and later killed, has been made into movie form, the first being 1986's
television docudrama, Sword of Gideon. Both films use journalist
George Jonas' book, "Vengeance", as its source, utilizing information gathered
from a purported leader of a Mossad group of Israelis that were hand-picked to
assassinate the surviving kidnappers and the Palestinian organizers involved in
the operation known as Black September.
While there have been disputes as to the
authenticity of various aspects of Jonas' book, these sorts of things aren't
really the main thrust of Spielberg's film, which wisely starts off with the
semi-disclaimer that it is "inspired by true events", generally meaning,
dramatic license will be taken whenever possible to tie the story together into
an overall theme. This is an artistic interpolation of events, pushing
forward Spielberg's subtle but very effective parallels between the situation as
it persisted during the 1970s and its ramifications into today.
Eric Bana (Troy,
Hulk) stars as Avner, who, after the 1972
assassinations, is picked to head a motley team of Jews to kill off those
responsible, providing as much money and resources as the operation requires.
One by one, they secure the names and locations needed in order to carry out the
mission, although there are complications at every turn, and once they show some
degree of success, they also become targets themselves. Not knowing who to
trust, they press on with their dangerous mission, never even knowing if the
organization which is funding their plans are right in doing what it is they are
doing, especially when the situation doesn't seem to be improving.
"Violence begets violence" is the main
theme of Munich, showing that vengeance doesn't always serve an end that
alleviates the overall problem. Killing the head of an organization will
result in someone else taking his place, and generally, as the faction attacked
becomes more radical, due to the actions on the other side, the new leader is
usually deemed more hardcore than the last, willing to do what is necessary to
protect the group's interests. Blood is shed on both sides, and as the
casualties rise, so too do the measures taken against each other, in a game that
never seems to end.
Spielberg weaves a gritty but profound tale
together here, with an excellent script full of keen characterizations by
Kushner ("Angels in America") and Roth (Ali,
The Insider). Eric Bana gives one of the
best performances in his career, as a man troubled and confused by his actions,
with a great character study of someone whose vision and aspirations change day
by day, as new events take place. The progression of Avner from naive
idealist into a paranoid covert assassin is handled superbly, and the supporting
ensemble around him is put together with solid actors that are consistent in
giving their smaller roles a well-rounded feel.
One might criticize Spielberg's decision to
turn in such a lengthy film, approaching almost three hours in length. In
hindsight, while one could ostensibly trim a few minutes here and there to make
for a shorter experience, I feel that almost every scene provides a new and
interesting facet to the overall tapestry that is the story, giving the thematic
material resonance and depth to make for a lasting experience.
Of course, being an American, it's hard not
to see the parallels between the conflict between the Israeli Mossad actions and
the anti-terrorist methods employed by the US and other countries in continued
fighting in the Middle East.
Munich paints a bleak picture where there is no winning in the game of
anti-terrorism, as killing terrorists only seems to produce more of them, and
the voice advocating peace becomes an ever distant sound drowned out by the
escalating screams of hatred and cries for more bloodshed, all in the ironic
name of justice and morality. The final shot shows the New York skyline of
the 1970s, complete with the World Trade Center, showing that, for all of the
efforts on all sides of the terrorism game depicted in the film, the situation
would only become more dire, and more deadly, with no end in sight.
Qwipster's rating:
©2006 Vince Leo
