In 1972, the entire world was watching as terrorists held 11 Israeli athletes hostage during the Olympic games in Munich, Germany. What many don’t know, is that Israel authorized a covert war against those responsible for the deaths of those athletes. Steven Spielberg’s highly acclaimed, yet controversial film Munich explores the aftermath of this tragic event and the violence that followed in its wake.
Avner (Eric Bana) is an Israeli operative, assigned to lead a force of four men in an attempt to assasinate the terroristis who murdered the Israeli athletes. He and his team are strictly off the grid. Israel disavows knowledge of him and his team, leaving Avner to pursue the terrorists any way he sees fit.
Munich has been billed as a thriller, and certainly it has its suspenseful moments, but at its heart, this film is a character study of Avner and his spiral downward into disillusionment, despair, and apathy. At the onset, Avner responds to the call of his superiors and takes his assignment like a good agent. He is faithful to his cause, but soon finds that death leads to more death, and the terrorists he kills are soon replaced by even more violent men. He learns that his actions have consequences, and in a world of double agents and double crosses, he soon finds that he and his family might be in the crosshairs. He loses faith in the mission - its purpose and the motivation behind it. Ultimately, the question asked in this film is, “Does a kill for a kill really solve anything?”
The political and social themes running throughout Munich are certainly timely, given the current war on terror. Some will say that the United States’ war on terror is only succeeding in breeding more terrorists. Others might say that the violence against terrorists is necessary to keep our homeland safe. Regardless of which side of the fence one stands, he/she can certainly appreciate the situation illustrated in Munich.
The story in this film is strong, and the characters are dynamic. Bana is excellent as Avner, but the supporting cast is a bit weak, except for Mathieu Kassovitz, who plays Robert, the meek bomb maker on Avner’s team who begins to show his doubts in the team’s mission. Overall I found the pace of the film sluggish, which weakened some of its emotional impact. I’m not sure why, but I felt somewhat indifferent as the closing credits began to roll, almost as if I was glad that it finally ended. Perhaps my indifference reflected the apathetic tone of the political establishment of the film - just do what needs to be done. Don’t think about the lives you’re taking. Don’t become emotional. Remain distant. Ultimately, this became the attitude I adopted toward the film.
Bottom Line: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars
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