Starring:
Eric Bana as Avner
Daniel Craig as Steve
Ciaran Hinds as Carl
Mathieu Kassovitz as Robert
Hanns Zischler as Hans
Ayelet Zurer as Daphna
Geoffrey Rush as Ephraim
Gila Almagor as Avner’s Mother
Michael Lonsdale as Papa
Mathieu Amalric as Louis
Moritz Bleibtreu as Andreas
Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi as Sylvie
Meret Becker as Yvonne
Marie-Josee Croze as Jeanette
Yvan Attal as Tony (Andreas’ Friend)
Ami Weinberg as General Zamir
Lynn Cohen as Golda Meir
Special Features:
An Introduction by Director Steven Spielberg
Munich: The Mission, The Team
Munich: Memories of the Event
Munich: Portrait of an Era
Munich: The On-Set Experience
Munich: The International Cast
Munich: Editing, Sound and Music
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.35:1)
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
English DVS Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 2 Hours 44 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“Inspired by real events, Munich reveals the intense story of the secret Israeli squad assigned to track down and assassinate the 11 Palestinians believed to have planned the 1972 Munich massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and the personal toll this mission of revenge takes on the team and the man who led it. Steven Spielberg’s explosive suspense thriller garnered five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.”
Munich is rated R for strong graphic violence, some sexual content, nudity and language.
The Movie:
While I thought Munich deserved a 7 out of 10 rating rather than an 8 out of 10 rating, I otherwise completely agreed with Ed Douglas’ review. Here’s what he had to say:
This is a very different film for Steven Spielberg, and not just because it gets him away from the fantasy and science fiction of his other recent movies. It’s a period piece in every sense of the word, harking back to a time before Spielberg was a filmmaker. It might be seen as Spielberg’s “Godfather,” not only because it’s a story about revenge, but also because many scenes pay a direct homage to his buddy Francis Ford Coppola’s classic trilogy. If nothing else, it should finally put to rest the accusations that Spielberg is a one-trick pony who relies on formula.
Based on a script by Tony Kusher (“Angels in America”) and Eric Roth (“Forrest Gump”), adapted from the novel “Vengeance”, the film opens with a recreation of the Munich kidnappings, then cuts away to actual newscasts and the reactions of those watching it. This is the set-up for a movie that’s more about what happens after the hostages are killed. In a secret meeting between Israeli leaders, it’s decided that those responsible for the murders should be dealt with, and an Israeli soldier named Avner (Bana) is commissioned to work with a team to eliminate a list of ten enemies of state residing in different European countries. This team is made up of Jews and sympathizers from different backgrounds, who carefully plan each act of retribution, often using jury-rigged explosives
After an hour of watching them take out their targets, with many close calls, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, since those being murdered may not be involved in the Munich events. Avner and his team begin wondering whether they’re being used to get payback on anyone against Israel, which is intensified when they start dealing with a shady French character named Louis, who finds their targets and supplies them with safe houses, but who has his own agenda. In one pivotal moment after a mission goes wrong, Avner is brought before Louis’ “Papa” during a family get-together that’s right out of the first “Godfather.”
Eric Bana’s Avner isn’t so much a hero–after all, he’s a murderer–but he is a man caught between performing a duty for his people and battling with his own conscience. Being separated from his wife and new child for almost a year, he starts getting paranoid about whether he’s doing the right thing. Always great in every role he plays, Bana perfectly captures the torment of being the middle ground in the arguments and having second thoughts about his actions. Essentially, he is the viewer. Any time he has doubts, he has dreams that flashback to the incidents in Munich, reminding us why he and his men continue this questionable mission.
Bana could not have pulled of this difficult movie on his own, and Spielberg has assembled an amazing supporting cast, the most known being Geoffrey Rush as Avner’s less than scrupulous handler Ephraim, essentially playing the Brian Cox role from the “Bourne” movies. It’s the other men in Avner’s team who offer some of the film’s most memorable moments with the always great Daniel Craig taking a back seat to the likes of Ciaran Hinds and Mathieu Kassovitz as bomb expert Robert, both of whom give impassioned speeches about their reasons for accepting the mission.
On the one hand, it’s fun sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the explosions as Avner tries to prevent civilian casualties, but there are plenty of talking heads moments filled with the type of “theo-political” discussions that any self-proclaimed intellectual would appreciate. Those of Jewish descent will be interested in some of them, because of the discussions about the philosophies of Judaism and whether what these men are doing goes against them. While these arguments are interesting, others might be offended by the implication that Israeli Jews are an angry and vengeful people, which to some degree, exacerbates Mel Gibson’s depiction of them in “The Passion of The Christ.” If “Munich” were meant as an answer to those claims, it fails.
In one scene, Avner’s group is forced to hole up in a safehouse with a bunch of Palestinian terrorists, and they discuss the politics of their war. Kushner and Roth try to keep things balanced in regards to the war in the Mideast, which hasn’t progressed much in the thirty years since the events of this story, but it’s a subject matter that was handled far more credibly in “Paradise Now” or “Walk on Water,” films made by a Palestinian and Israeli filmmaker, respectively.
Since I’m convinced we’re reliving the ’70s, “Munich” is a perfect addition to the argument, because it’s another excellent political thriller ala last year’s “Assassination of Richard Nixon” which revisited the past in order to show relevance to the present. Spielberg and his production team have done an amazing job recreating the look and feel of the era, not just in the attention to detail as far as clothes and hair, but making the movie as if the last thirty years of cinema and world events never occurred. The movie could be played on American Movie Classics directly after “The French Connection” or “The Day of the Jackal” without anyone guessing that it was made in the 21st Century.
Like far too many movies this season, “Munich” is too long and there are too many tangents trying to show the complex level of the corruption and double-dealings. For every memorable moment or interesting discussion, there are so-so scenes that seem unnecessary, and it’s obvious that there is no way this movie had to be over 2 1/2 hours long. It desperately needs further editing, and it would be so much better with it.
The only thing I’d add to Ed’s review is a note about the look of the film. The 70’s look, feel, and shooting style was very well done. At times you really felt you were watching a documentary shot in that decade. Each location in the film also has a different color palette that perfectly sets the tone for the scenes.
The Extras:
Here’s what you’ll find among the bonus features on the 2-Disc Collector’s Edition:
An Introduction by Director Steven Spielberg Spielberg opens the movie by trying to avert accusations that he’s taking sides in this debate. He reaffirms that he’s trying to promote discussion, not take a stand for or against the actions taken by Israel in the film. Still, knowing his political leanings in real life, it’s not too hard to figure out how he really feels.
Munich: The Mission, The Team This featurette discusses the casting of the Israeli hit squad in the film. You’ll find your standard interviews with the cast and crew, behind the scenes footage, and more. They discuss the international backgrounds of each of the men and their characters in the film.
Munich: Memories of the Event The cast and crew discuss where they were and what they remember about the real life events at the Munich Olympics. While it’s interesting to hear their personal reactions to the event, I was hoping more for a featurette discussing what really happened and the fact vs. fiction in the movie. This isn’t it.
Munich: Portrait of an Era This featurette discusses how they made a 1970’s setting for the film. They also talk about how they transformed Budapest and Malta into a wide variety of international locations. The distinct 70’s look to the filming is also discussed.
Munich: The On-Set Experience The actors discuss what it was like working with each other. The crew also discusses the importance of shooting Munich and how they hope the story will be received by audiences..
Munich: The International Cast The Israeli and Arab actors are highlighted in this feature. Interestingly, the son of one of the athletes killed at the games portrays his own father in this movie. The actors discuss how they got along well during the shooting of Munich.
Munich: Editing, Sound and Music John Williams, editor Michael Kahn, and sound designer Ben Burtt are highlighted in this featurette. Burtt’s discussion about the sound is quite interesting and should please any of his Star Wars fans.
The Bottom Line:
“Munich” is an adept and non-formulaic political thriller with the type of suspense and intrigue that fans of the “Bourne” movies might appreciate, but also the type of insightful dialogue that should start many conversations and debates about the current situation in the world.
