Munich

[MelissaAnne]

As I was sick yesterday, I stayed home from work and decided to put Munich in.

I wasn't born yet when the 1972 Munic Olympic tragedy occurred, and I'm sure we merely skimmed it over in history class. So this was eye-opening for me. I know that it's not historically accurate in as far as what happens after the assassination of the Israeli athletes, but it is definitely gripping. I found myself contemplating the meaning of vengeance and terrorism today. Eric Bana gave a terrific performance, IMO.

Anyone else see this? What did you think?

 

[Twitch]

Yes a great flick. i saw it recently too. It emphasizes the point astoundingly well- Don't mess with the Israelies!

 

[LizzieMaine]

We ran it for a week this past spring, so I got to see it several times -- it was a very hard film for me to watch, because of the uncompromising violence, and because I do have vivid memories of watching the original coverage on TV as a nine-year-old girl.

I thought the message Spielberg was trying to make was a difficult but necessary one -- a national policy based on vengeance will have the ultimate result of dehumanizing not just the target of that venegance but, ultimately, the perpetrator of it as well. Not a popular sentiment in this day and age, and I thought there were points in the film where it was laid on with a heavy hand -- but thought-provoking just the same.

The performances, I thought, were uniformly good.

 

[Flitcraft]

It is a difficult film to watch- but very thought-provoking.
Spielberg did work very diligently to portray the corrosive effects of seeking vengeance, no matter how evil the original cause.
The truly unfortunate thing is that so many of the terrorists killed were not the ones involved in the actual attack, but rather those whom the Israelis were able to track down and assasinate.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Spielberg did work very diligently to portray the corrosive effects of seeking vengeance, no matter how evil the original cause.

Be aware that this is a fiction movie, not a documentary, as Spielberg himself pointed out. (For more on the controversy, see this or google.)

The idea of revenge is not Jewish, and never was. Luckily, it's not even Israeli.

 

[MudInYerEye]

Be aware that this is a fiction movie, not a documentary, as Spielberg himself pointed out. (For more on the controversy, see this or google.)

The idea of revenge is not Jewish, and never was. Luckily, it's not even Israeli.

The desire for revenge flows through EVERY culture, Israel not excepted.

Spielberg and Kushner took a lot of flak from the Jewish and Israeli community for this film, some of the flak particularly damaging (they were practically tarred and feather as Jewish Uncle Toms). Most of the criticism came from people who either hadn't seen the film yet jumping the gun or those who just plumb refused to see it. It reminded me a lot of the attacks on Mel Gibson during THE PASSION's initial release. In both cases I think the flak was largely unmerited, preemptive strikes rooted in fear and ignorance. A shame really.John Frankenheimer's BLACK SUNDAY is a MUCH better movie tho.

 

[Twitch]

I have realized that in my lifetime of obtaining knowledge of combat and studying the hardware of war is that without exception the Israelis are one of the greatest fight forces in the world. They have, since the founding of the country in 1948, consistantly been opposed by forces or overwhelming numbers and have never lost a fight. It is apparent that the only way arab bad guys can succeed in some sense is through terroist tactics. The arabs cannot fight! It's as simple as that.lol

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

One reason is, to a certain degree, that they fight for their own and their family's lives, not in other countries for aims they might not understand. Strategy and tactics also have to be more refined, because the military considers neither the soldiers nor civilians pawns. This even includes the aggressors' civilians, and be it simply because you bet the world's media won't overlook it, as opposed to "collateral damage" in Iraq or elsewhere.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The arabs cannot fight! It's as simple as that.

I agree. The bedouins could fight, and very well too: they struck like lightning in the desert. That, of course, was a long time ago. Modern warfare doesn't include camels or T.E. Lawrence.

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