MUNICH

US, 2005, 160 minutes, Colour.
Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush, Matthieu Kassovitz, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Matthieu Amalric, Michel Lonsdale.
Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Steven Spielberg is, to say the least, prolific. Within six months of his War of the Worlds, he has released Munich. Munich has caused some controversy with its picture of Israeli agents in clandestine pursuit of the terrorist killers of members of the Israeli team at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Many Jewish commentators in particular have denounced the film as anti-Israel. This seems a strange accusation against a director who made Schindler’s List and who invested so much of his own finances into setting up the video record of survivors of the Holocaust.

Whatever the stances of the Jewish critics, Munich is one of the most disturbing films in recent times.

Audiences can read global conspiracy novels like those of Robert Ludlum and be amazed at the intricacies and dangers of the plots, especially with fictional heroes who submerge themselves in alien worlds, survive undercover, risk lives and sanity for their righteous cause. So, we enjoy movies like the Bourne Identity and Supremacy. But, with Munich, this was real life. This is a 1970s world of terrorists and counter-terrorists who are paid assassins, at the will of governments but publicly distanced and disowned by these governments.

If this were a documentary, we would be looking more objectively at the situations, even as we responded emotionally. But, here, we have a drama with recognised actors playing the roles, inviting us to identify with them and their mission, making us complicit, however willing or unwilling we may be, in the search, the stalking, the violence and the killings.

Depending on our politics, on our consciences and moral stances, we can applaud the mission for vengeance or we can be bewildered by the world in which we live, by law, justice and morality, by the ethos of the eye for the eye. While the events took place three decades earlier, the final image is the New York skyline and the Twin Towers, an icon that evokes all kinds of emotions that can reinforce or cloud judgments.

The events in Munich recur throughout the film, the audience seeing ever more detail, the cumulative effect of the Black September violence. The film is really Post-Munich? or Munich and its aftermath.

The screenplay was written by Tony Kushner, playwright of Angels over America, the drama critical of Senator Joseph McCarthy? and Roy Cohn, linking this ‘scoundrel time’ with the history of America and, especially, the AIDS epidemic. Kushner ranges widely here in the realm of international politics and violence.

Eric Bana portrays Avner, a Mossad officer who is commissioned to form a squad to execute the Black September terrorists. Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Matthieu Kassovitz, Hanns Zischler are the crack squad who have various complementary lethal skills, who are committed to Israel. The screenplay traces their interactions, Bana’s leadership, the gathering of information (Matthieu Amalric and Michael Lonsdale are particularly impressive as the French apolitical sources), the travels to many cities of Europe and the killings, successful and unsuccessful.

Vengeance takes its toll not only on those who experience the violence but also on those who act on it. This is also a clear message of the film. Avner becomes more and more disturbed as the mission goes on. Fellow members are killed. There are serious demands on his marriage. The government distances itself from him.

Spielberg and Kushner take us on a very long journey (160 minutes), immerse us in the vengeance and leave it to us to try to work out what we feel and think.

1.A Steven Spielberg film? His range of interests? His interest in things Jewish, matters Israeli? His movie-making style, craft? Audience responses, in the US less favourable, overseas more favourable? Oscar nomination for best film, best director?

2.The critique of the film, especially by Israeli commentators? Their accusing Spielberg of being anti-Israeli? Was this evident in the film – or not?

3.The political background of the film, the tensions in the Middle East, the state of Israel, the treatment of the Palestinians, the wars, 1967? Terrorists in the 60s and 70s? The widespread groups around Europe and terrorism? The final image of the Twin Towers and the comment on terrorism? The impact of the 70s in later decades?

4.The title, the Munich Olympic Games, world knowledge of the games, this part of history, Black September, the Palestinians, the killing of the Israeli hostages? The opening with the terrorists, seeing them as ordinary, their infiltration, masks, over the fence, into the dormitories, rounding up the Israelis, the brutality, the hostages, their fears, the treatment? Their demands? The reaction of the authorities? The German military and government? The van, to the airport, the shooting, the deaths of the Palestinians, the deaths of the Israelis? The fact that these sequences were interspersed throughout the film, with a cumulative effect?

5.Israel’s response, Golda Meier and her meeting with her ministers? The political issues of the state of Israel? Not countenancing terrorism? Retaliation? The world, support? The United States? Israel seen as victim? The Palestinian aggressors? The issues of justice in Palestine and Israel? Golda Meyer and the discussions, her advice, the decisions? The government giving backing to the squad – but not officially?

6.Geoffrey Rush as the official, his presence during the discussions, listening? His visiting Avner? Taking him to meet Golda Meyer? The briefing, his being the liaison, his personal stances? Distancing the group from the Mossad? The conditions, the nature of the mission to hunt down and assassinate the killers? Avner being received by Golda Meyer and her praising him and his father? At the end on his own, no medal – but a message from the prime minister?

7.Eric Bana as Avner? His father’s reputation? Being a loyal member of Mossad? Israeli with German background? The role of his father, his mother and her reputation? The meetings with his mother throughout the film, discussions, the hospital, at the end, her blind loyalty in support of his action? His relationship with his wife, their marriage, love, her pregnancy, the birth of his daughter? His not seeing his wife? Her not knowing what was happening, her being asked to trust? His absence for long times? The burden for her? The phone calls, the visit to the hospital at the time of the birth? Resettling her in New York and the effect for her in a different land?

8.The establishing of the team, Avner as leader, meeting with the group, the personalities of each member, their particular skills, manners? The cohesion and collaboration? The growing bonds between them? Their work, making the bombs, the strategies? Gleaning information? The tensions, the decisions? The executions and the aftermath? The toll on each of them? The toll on Avner, physical, mental, moral? His visit to his wife? The visit of Efraim? His final fears, feeling that he was stalked in New York City? Trying to find peace?

9.The importance of getting information, the amounts of money available from the Israeli government? The arrangements in the Swiss bank? The various contacts? Louis, the Frenchman, his personality, motives, apolitical? The visit to Louis’ father, the blindfold, the farm, the family dinner, the welcome to Avner, the closeness – but the ruthlessness in the dealings? That Avner was really not family? The discussions, the phone calls, the later meetings? The father and his helping Avner, warning him? The motivation of this group, the profits that they made?

10.The various assassinations, the singling out of the members of Black September or their associates? Diplomats in England and in Cyprus? The travels to the different cities? The cover? The explosions – in the diplomat’s room and the balcony? Avner in the room next door, talking with the diplomat? The couple in the next room and the explosion affecting them, the eyes of the woman? The diplomat in London, his wife and daughter, the timing, the signals, the daughter returning, answering the phone, Avner able to stop the explosion? Her escaping? The diplomat killed? The other confrontations and executions? The party and the attempt to get the leader, infiltrating into the grounds, being discovered, their losing the opportunity? The information about Lebanon? Their being warned not to go there? The group going, observing, the explosions and the killings? Louis and his grim reaction?

11.The deaths of the various members of the group, the German and his going out for a walk, dead on the park bench? The girl from Amsterdam, trying to pick up Avner, her picking up the businessman, his being killed? The bomb expert, his personality, his skill with the bombs, exasperation with the material supplied by Louis? The killing of the KGB agent? The consequences? His retirement?

12.The assassin, in the hotel, trying to seduce Avner, his being tempted, resisting? The other member and his picking her up, death? Avner noticing the perfume? The information about the girl, tracking her down in Holland, the confrontation and killing her?

13.The issues of terrorism and violence, violence begetting violence? The motivation of vengeance, retaliation? A moral principle or not?

14.The politics, the state of Israel, undercover agents, governments not acknowledging this kind of execution or terrorism? Morality, justice, law and vengeance?

15.The audience being invited to watch the events, identify with the characters, question themselves about the moral stances?