Munich

Last night I watched "Munich". Directed by Steven Spielberg, its the story about 1972 Munich Olympics massacre and its aftermath. Eleven Israeli athletes were taken hostage by the Palestinians during the games and the German's attempt at a rescue resulted in all their deaths at the hands of their captors.

Of course, Israel adheres to a strict "eye-for-an-eye" type retaliatory code and always seeks revenge on those that kill Jews.

Eric Bana, of The Hulk and Black Hawk Down fame, plays the man commissioned to assassinate those responsible. He is given a crew of Daniel Craig, the new Bond, as a trigger man along with an expert forger, bomb-maker and clean-up man. All are "off the grid" in that Israel "doesn't know them" but they are financed and paid by them to complete their mission.

The mission itself makes for a good thriller. Spielberg directs with a very nice, understated, but violent, touch. Of course the acting is very good too, as can be expected.

Its a haunting movie which really causes the viewer to think. What sets it apart is how Bana's character, Avner, begins to realize the futility of his mission. As death comes easier and easier to him he loses colleagues and comes to realize that no matter how many of those responsible are executed, they will merely be replaced by those perhaps more ruthless.

Muddying the ideal, too, is the attitude of avenging death that avenged other deaths that avenged those preceding them going back for who knows how long. When did it begin? More importantly, when will it end?

Spielberg's tale raises more questions than answers. Of course, Spielberg himself is Jewish. He plays it a bit balanced though in allowing us to see into the Palestinians side of things, albeit to a lesser degree. There's a terrific scene of dialogue between Avner and a PLO operative at one point. Of course, they meet later too but I will withhold details.

Avner also begins to suspect that his government may be misleading him and his crew into assassinations that may not have anything to do with Munich but may be serving its other objectives. When he asks for proof that one man he executed had something to do with the athlete's deaths he is given none. His superiors fluctuate between "we don't know you, remember?" to "tell us all you know" and "do as we say, don't question it". It becomes unsettling to Avner and he becomes paranoid that perhaps he can't even trust those he works for, let alone his enemies.

Its poignant that his government may be misleading him to do their work and it sounds all-too-familiar to me. Eventually, Avner is brought to Brooklyn to be reunited with his wife and new baby. He fears for them as well and the last scene pans back to show the Manhattan skyline across the river, complete with the World Trade Center Towers in the background.

I rate it: MUST SEE!