Munich

In the case of Munich, a comparison with the recently made film The Baader Meinhof Complex is possible and even desirable. While the German film is a precise analysis of a terrorist organization and manages to fit its inception, era of greatest success, and defeat into one feature-length film in a very complex way, prioritizing the analytical perspective over the entertaining aspect, Spielberg used a well-known terrorist act as a starting point for a drama that aims to entertain the audience and take certain ethical stances. It is definitely not a credible film in terms of historical accuracy, mainly because there are no verifiable documents - secret services and terrorist organizations usually do not reveal the details of their operations to the public. The Mossad agent, who served as the inspiration for the main protagonist, also noted that the character of the actor portraying him differed significantly from his thoughts and actions, so the film is certainly not a credible account of the events. Spielberg's approach is certainly pleasing to audiences, but from my point of view, the actions of the Israeli commando are burdened by unprofessionalism and in many details, they are not trustworthy. The screenwriter drew too much inspiration from spy pop culture thrillers like Ronin; for example, it is difficult for me to imagine that the top-secret Mossad, considered along with the East German Stasi as the absolute pinnacle of secret services in the second half of the 20th century, would depend on collaboration with an unknown private organization with uncertain goals and unpredictable behavior. From an acting perspective, this is a high-quality project. The screenplay and direction are traditionally at a high level, as is customary for Spielberg. The unexpected encounter of members of the commando with a group of OOP fighters, with a series of polished dialogues and the scene of their rivalry over a radio receiver, is undoubtedly pleasing to the audience and dramatically refined. Likewise, the portrayal of individual terrorist attacks, executions, and conflicts will satisfy both traditional genre fans and viewers who are looking for more than a one-dimensional action spectacle. Overall impression: 85%. (08/08/2009)

I'm beginning to get the impression that in the last two years Spielberg has finally fully matured. The sweet happy endings have disappeared together with the sentimentality, and the family atmosphere perfumed with popcorn is definitively gone as well. However, Munich did not resonate with me as much despite all its seriousness and undeniable power. Technically, it is absolutely polished, but it is as cold as ice, and that is something I am not willing to tolerate. Eric Bana is excellent, and the screenplay is flawless, but the story is presented in such an uninteresting form that it is difficult to empathize with the characters and immerse yourself in their world of terrorists and espionage. The action is brutal, cold, and in certain aspects reminiscent of, for example, Schindler's List. Technically, it is traditionally perfect with brilliant lighting and overall arrangement of the mise-en-scène. My only criticisms relate to occasional confusion and lack of emotions, two flaws in its beauty, two stars down. (06/07/2006)

On the advice of a mysterious French family organization, Mossad assassins head to London in search of their target, the leader of the Palestinian Black September movement. There, however, the assassination is thwarted by undercover CIA agents guarding the leader in exchange for not attacking American diplomats. Later that evening, one of the assassins is killed by a Dutch assassin, apparently hired by the Palestine Liberation Front. God, I love the '70s! I find Munich (like Saving Private Ryan or Schindler's List) the perfect motif on which to pair Spielberg's choreography with Kaminski's experimentation. The numerous scenes and their detailed composition here create a view of a Europe riddled with agents meeting in restaurants, markets, and bars, where everyone has a purpose and takes a side. Even with this simplification and aesthetic stylization, Munich is a first-rate spy genre film (the spy team is like something out of a game) where almost every sequence is carefully crafted and has its own visual attributes. The risk of sentimental idiocy is condensed here to just one scene in which a sweaty Eric Bana has sex with a terrorist (I would have been so uncomfortable in the cinema), the rest is still Spielberg full of energy and ideas. Given the way the film looks and tells the story, it still more than anything creates the illusion that the world was the most interesting when it was the most dangerous. (04/02/2022)

I’m giving this a very questionable four stars. Unfortunately, Spielberg has grown up and the emotional flatness and academic coldness that could be excused in his War of the Worlds cannot be forgiven in Munich. War of the Worlds worked perfectly as a pure horror movie that delivered amazement and chills through its technical aspects. Munich is an attempt to inventively examine serious issues for which supreme technical precision is not enough. Therefore, only one thing in this long film really works, namely the naturalistically cold-blooded murders, especially that of the female assassin on the boat. Some may argue that Munich didn’t appeal to me because the Muslim-Jewish conflict is beyond me, but I’m not Jewish and Schindler’s List is one of my top ten favorite films. Because it has a huge heart. (14/03/2006)