10/4/06: Munich (2005)We're back from vacation--and, no, we didn't spend too much time in the sun. The hype for Daniel Craig's upcoming
Casino Royale has reminded us of last year's greatest accidental accomplishment. For those who weren't paying attention,
Munich began as one of 2005's most anticipated films. Mainly, there was enthusiasm for Spielberg's promised moral equivalence, in which Israel would be taken to task for being part of a cycle of violence.
Then
Munich was screened, and the bad reviews were plentiful. This is because
Munich was one of the best films of the year.
Never mind Spielberg's political views. They're insignificant in the wake of a great story.
Munich is simply an incredible actioner about some swinging '70s SuperJews (in the tradition of
Robert Shaw) who travel the globe and rid the world of vermin. In that regard,
Munich is--as promised by the opening title--inspired by real events.
After a respectful depiction of the 1972 Munich terrorist attack, the film rushes into Eric Bana's recruitment as an undercover Mossad agent with plenty of American cash. After the big nothings of
Troy and
The Hulk, Bana finally got a proper Hollywood showcase as the sensitive Avner. He understands that his pregnant wife is exactly why he must disappear and kill the creeps behind the slaughter of innocent Israeli athletes. Those same bastards want to kill his daughter, and she hasn't even been born yet.
The real star, however, is Daniel Craig. He owns the film as the dedicated assassin Steve (no last names for these terroristbusters). "The only blood that matters," declares the gun-happy soldier, "is Jew's blood." That doesn't mean that Steve won't give other matters thought. Look at his fashion sense. Craig is resplendent in tapered shirts with long collars, and he has the sturdy blonde locks of a guy who's just stepped out of a 1972 ad for Camel cigarettes--after having killed a few guys on camels.
Not all viewers will be enthused about the Tony Kushner-penned plot. As we're reminded by archival footage, Peter Jennings was an eyewitness to the horrors of 1972 Munich, and even he could go on to become a Palestinian apologist. Ultimately, though, Spielberg's pacifist yearnings are undone by history. The director starts with subtle touches like a John Wayne film playing in the background of Avner's first successful slaying. The scene plays more like a John Wayne tribute.
Spielberg saves his real proselytizing for a final scene between Avner and his Mossad superior. They're having an angry debate in Brooklyn, and Avner's a little shell-shocked and paranoid in the wake of his spy games. Bana gets to give a big speech about how Israel has to change its ways and start pursuing terrorists in the criminal courts.
In real life, we spent the Clinton administration learning about where that gets us--as we're reminded when the camera pans over to reveal the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
It's an impressive display of truth conquering fiction. We haven't seen anything this great since Charlton Heston's stirring pro-gun speech in Tim Burton's
Planet of the Apes. Then there's some closing text informing us that Mossad ended up getting a few more terrorists, including one CIA-connected creep who got away earlier in the film. It was fun to cheer that part if you were in a theater. You'll still want to cheer at home.
Make it your own: The two-disc DVD is out of print and pricey, and is probably full of propaganda trying to make up for the film's greatness. Fortunately, there are plenty of
cheap used copies of the single-disc release.
