Munich [2005] Movie Reviews on CinemaClock

Overall, I liked the movie. Very compelling, and wrought with tension. Not your typical Hollywood crowd pleaser, happy-ending kind of movie. Don't expect to find any answers or insight on the Palestinian-Israeli-Arab conflict here, but what the movie does give the audience is a gripping and harrowing insight into the descent of a world among men bent on "an eye for an eye" revenge taking. As Gandhi once said "an eye for an eye will only leave the whole world blind." The question is, when does it stop, and where does it all end? After the movie, a colleague asked: "What was the point that the director was trying to make? " Good question. Spielberg cleverly skirts the issue of whether this movie is pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli, (clearly leaving it up to the viewer to decide), but he does manage to score points on both sides. I also felt there were too many assassination scenes (after all, was it really necessary to show everyone on the list getting hit?) Would have liked to have seen more discourse between the protagonists and main characters - the various philosophical reasons, justifications, and background that motivated each one to do what they did. The movie was lacking in this aspect, I think. All in all, it was an intelligent movie (I was too young to remember the events that surrounded that day in Munich - I was in grade 8 back then, and my scope of world events was pretty limited back then) - but not one of Spielberg's best.

This movie reminded me of PATHS OF GLORY from Kubrick starring Kirk Douglas. It's about men and their stupid ideas. Once again, it shows that CLASS differences are more important than NATIONAL differences. In other words, it doesn't matter what COUNTRY you're from or what ARMY you're in. What matters is that you follow orders from the hierarchy or YOU become the enemy of your own state that you THINK loves you or that you love back. It's funny, patriots always talk about DYING for their country but never of killing for their country. It's ok if you die, that should make you feel good, you'll become a hero. If you kill people, it's for the good of your country. What the hell is the difference. It's not because your fathers and grand-fathers were suckers and died in wars that you have to follow their paths. Stupid men. WAKE THE HELL UP. It's time for PEACE. STOP THE MURDERING IN THE NAME OF THE RICH.

Spielberg. About the hunt for revenge surrounding the killings of the athletes. Descent into the heart of darkness. Images of light and innocence in the beginning… ends in bleak New York with the twin towers in the dreary distance. Heavy going. Long. Raises central questions about Israel and Palestine, Jews and Arabs, etc. Seeing behind the scenes of important historical moments is always interesting but Spielberg seems not to want to offend anybody. Both sides get to have their say in some scenes that feel very constructed, almost like “asides” in a play while other moments felt more natural. Overall, satisfying as historical reconstruction in that the people seem real; a little less so as a political statement. I expected more.