Munich

"Based on a true story" as one often say. This is the story about what happened after a group of Israeli athletes where taken hostage in Munich (München) by a group called 'Black September', during the Olympic Games in 1972. The athletes were later killed (11 of them, including coaches and a West German police officer) and five of the eight members of 'Black September' were also killed. The others were captured but later released by the German authorities.

After this Israel started what they called 'Operation Spring of Youth' and 'Operation Wrath of God'. In these operations, Palestinians suspected of having participated in the planning or implementation of the killing, systematically were trapped down and killed.

It's this story the film tries to tell.

As often with Spielberg, it's in a way a 'grandiose' film as a piece of cineastic work and the music accompanying the events is likewise.

It seems as if Spielberg tries to depict the Israeli men in charge of this mission as being rather noble, not least the young leader Avner (Eric Bana), in contrast to the Palestinian 'savages'.

This is of course understandable from his point of view but in fact both groups are killers/murderers even if one always can discuss whether or not some of the killings are more 'justified' than others.

When the young Mossad-agent Avner Kaufman is assigned this mission, he is known to have been the bodyguard of Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. His family is respected and therefore the government wants him to lead this group.

On the same time he has a wife and a child, with another child soon to be born and as usual I ask myself why: 1. One chooses to have children when one works in a field where being killed is very likely; 2. Why a woman (in this case) marries a man who works in this field and wants to have children with him. Totally irresponsible, seen from the childrens perspective but as children to most people only are toys, status and a wish to become immortal; who cares about the children.

Of course he "can't say no" when he is asked to perform this mission, in spite of his wife and children. Another imbecile aspect: The State and its well being is always more important than family and children, not least for soldiers. Stupidity.

On the whole this might be a film depicting the events in a rather 'realistic' way, even though the decisions taken by the government, the way it's described in the film, has been criticized.

One thing - reminding us somewhat of 'Mission Impossible' - is that Avner formally has to resign from Mossad, so that the government can deny all knowledge about the actions and this part is most likely true. No dirty hands visible in the governmental buildings, although it's there one find the greatest scoundrels and murderers.

I didn't find the casting to good though but I don't know why. The different actors didn't match to well I thought. Maybe this was done in a deliberate way to create a more 'natural' situation where totally different persons have to cooperate for a certain goal.

It's a habile film but not at all impressing, although it was nominated for different film prize. 

As we've written before: The professionality is always there but a film needs more than a professional execution to become really interesting. No news but this is often what makes non-American films more interesting than the American ones. At least for us cinephiles.