"Munich"
by Sonya Artero


Munich is inspired by real events. Events that were thrust into worldwide media attention as a result of the 1972 murders of the Israeli wrestling team in Munich during the Olympics that year.

Rather than make a movie about the hostage taking and the brutal murders that followed, ever-pleasing box office filmmaker Steven Spielberg chooses to concentrate his efforts on portraying the revenge that followed. By far, the finest actor in the movie, Bana, who in my mind should be nominated for best actor, is the lead character. 

In the movie he plays Avner, a Mossad officer chosen by Israeli intelligence to lead an elite squad of agents whose mission is to kill the Palestinian terrorists who murdered the Olympic team. Bana is enlisted by Geoffrey Rush, who assembles a team who are played by a battery of actors who throughout the movie, feel they lack the necessary training for being contract killers. The movie is often complicated, as I found myself wanting to know more and not understanding why certain decisions were being made.

But perhaps that was Spielberg's intention, thereby revealing the fact that both the killers and those seeking retribution were themselves confused. The movie was chock-full of violent scenes and philosophical questions about the act of revenge. 

What's nice is the fact that Spielberg doesn't attempt to address the entire Middle East conflict, but rather, focuses on this 1972 tragedy. As such the majority of the Israeli operatives are shown as constantly being conflicted by their task of seeking retribution. The movie really picks up once Avner meets Louis who for the right price, provides him with the whereabouts of each of the terrorists on his hit list. Much of the movie is dedicated to Avner being tormented over whether he's murdering for the right reason, or for his government's own political agenda.

An agenda that may result in the death of his own family, if he's not careful. What can I say? He movie is just another fantastic flick by Spielberg that I must give 4 out of 5 stars.