Munich

January 1, 2006

Rated: R Runtime: 148 min Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Munich is a film based loosely on a book by George Jonas called ‘Revenge’, which tells us what is believed to be an accurate account of Israels retaliation for the death of 11 of their athletes at the hands of a Palastenian terrorist cell. I can’t speak on the validity of the story but I can say it makes for a pretty solid movie.

Munich The entire story surrounds around a young Mossad (Isreali Intelligence) agent named Avner played very, very well by Bana I might add, and his special mission to avenge the death of the slaughtered Olympic athletes. Avner is recruited by Ephraim (Rush) and then Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meier to lead a team of specialists in the removal of several Black September agents and any sympathizers that get in their way. Avner gathers a group of dedicated soldiers all with different skills and areas of expertise (sounds a lot like Mission Impossible but it isn�t) and they set off across Europe to do what has to be done.

Daniel Craig as the hard liner vengeance is mine ’shooter’ and Ciarin Hinds as the cleaner are absolutely incredible, and the two of them alone make the movie even better than I expected. The action is fast paced when it needs to be and the dramatic pauses are top notch Spielberg at his best, combine that with superior acting and ask yourself… How could I possibly give this movie only 3 out of 5 stars? Well that answer is simple; Munich is all about the regret of doing what everyone knows needs to be done regardless of the circumstances. Take the actual events of the Munich games in 1972 and you know someone/anyone who was responsible for this travesty must pay. Now, add in the guilt of being a human being first and Isaeli seeking vengeance second and you get the reason it gets only 3 stars.

Whether or not the guilt and ultimate remorse Avner feels is justified is inconsequential to the fact that Mossad although deliberate in their actions, are justified in punishing the guilty. The overall theme of Munich is nothing more than an introspective into your belief on revenge. It makes you ask yourself, how much blood and death will even the scales. You believe you are right and so do they, so if the person or group that wrongs you believes whole heartedly in their actions how many of them dying or dead will make your pain go away or make them see you perspective? Spielberg asks those questions all the while reminding us Mossad are the good guys and Black September are the bad guys but the guilt felt by both sides is equal. This works for some it didn�t work for me!

I don’t like to be preached at when I watch a movie so I had to ding it for that but the story is good, the direction is excellent and if you have about 3 hours to dedicate to some serious internal evaluation see this movie but be prepared to be pissed off no matter which side of the coin you believe is the right one.

Posted by J.C. Edwards | Filed Under 3 Stars, Ciarin Hinds, Daniel Craig, Drama, Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush, R, Theatrical, Thriller