Munich (2006)

Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Lynn Cohen. Drama/Historical. Synopsis:The story of the still unsubtantiated revenge taken by the Israeli goverment against the Arab terrorists involved with the abduction and murder of 12 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich, Germany.

As usual, Steven Spielberg has chosen to tackle a tough and sensitive real life historical topic in his film about the aftermath of the massacre at Munich in 1972. The film itself, although not one of Speilberg's great ones, in my opinion, is nevertheless a very good film rendition of what may have happened to the Arab terrorists after they slaughtered the Israeli athletes in 1972.

Although I am old enough to have been alive during this time, I was too young to remember or have contemporary impressions of what happened in Munich, the first Olympics that I can remember are '76 in Montreal, but I recall clearly the specter of what happened in Munich hanging over those games very clearly.

This film is important not only as a historical event, but also as an example of the kind of actions and terrorists activities posed by the radical Arab factions, who seek no less than the destruction of the State of Israel as well as the United States.  Particularly in the times that we live now, when the United States has seen first hand the kind of mindless violence that has been visited upon Europe and other parts of the world for years.

Speilberg takes great care in the film to portray all sides of the issue, using real life news commentary and portraying Arab/Palestinian grief. This is important because it brings home that these people who would murder innocent people for their goals and, indeed, kill themselves as we saw here in 2001, are real people like ourselves, with families and dreams, no matter how perverted we may think they are.

The film also demonstrates the moral ambiguity faced by the primary Mossad agent (Eric Bana) entrusted with revenge on the terrorists. Now, as is explained in the movie, there is no official recognition that those involved in Munich were assasinated, and Israel and its Mossad have denied any official action. Having said that, its been an open "secret", if you will, for years. I personally know of a former U.S. Marine Corps vet, who had experience in black operations during this time period who assured me that Mossad, in fact, took out the terrorirsts.

Assuming what so many believe, and others know, to have happened did in fact happen, where does that leave us watching this film thirty years after the fact? I spoke of the moral ambiguity earlier, and it is shown, and meant for us to digest, as to what, if anything, was accomplished. Surely we can all agree that the film clearly demostrates that terrorism is here now, has been for a while, and will continue to be here. "Here" meaning the rest of the world or anyone who does not assent to the world view of the terrorists. To me, one of the mistakes that has been made is to assume or act like those who would kill innocent athletes, blow up buildings in public places, or fly hijacked planes into buildings are, somehow, rational individuals who just happen to have a divergent point of view, or politics, from you and me.

These people mean to kill you and me, and nothing is going to change that other than a change in their own outlook, not aggressive action that merely stokes their paranoia. Munich shows a strong leader, Golda Meir (Lynn Cohen), making a decision not in the face or for world opinion, or the consumption of the voting public, but in revenge of fallen citizens. As such, the fact that a leader of a nation-state sanctioned murder is put out there for you to accept, reject, agree, or disagree with. I, for one, agree wholeheartedly. I also think the actions of Israel were not done, nor sold to the public, as some kind of cure all for terrorism. Contrast this with what we are being told today, and the number of people who buy that you can forcefully change someone who wants to kill you. You can't. What you can do is protect your own, and punish those who harm your own. Not their friends or countrymen, or those who share their beliefs, but the killers themselves. And their leaders, conspirators, and enablers.

No terrorism won't be eradicated, but one terrorist will. And then two, three, and so on. Its all that a strong, civilized nation can do, and that is the message that I take from Munich.

Whether its the message that was intended or the one that you take, I don't know.