Weekend Buff

Munich (2005)

Last month, the world remembered the slaughter of 11 Israeli Olympians at the Munich Games in 1972.  We memorialized the event in our Today in Law Enforcement History series.  The Munich anniversary along with the recent massive terrorist attack in Israel, we recall the film Munich (2005).

Although obviously an act of terror on a much smaller scale, the Palestinian terror group Black September, invaded the Munich Olympic Village. They took Israeli athletes hostage, eventually killing them all along with a German Police Officer. 

Munich captures this Olympic attack in snippets, but the story is really about the Israeli response.  The movie captures a poignant moment where Golda Meir, played by Lynn Cohen, is sitting with her cabinet, trying to determine the Israeli response to the attack.  The scene is probably similar to the reality of Netanyahu’s current dilemma. 

Meir decides that the people who planned and carried out the Munich attack must pay.  She orders an assassination operation to take them down.  A Mossad team is put together and lead by Avner Kaufman (based on real agent Yuval Aviv), who is played by Eric Bana.  Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, and Hanns Zischler portray the rest of the team of assassins.  All give a good performance.

 The film follows this team as they develop sources and do some detective work to locate the assailants and their sponsors around the world.  As the body count of vengeance mounts, the team of Mossad Agents start to feel the stress and regret of the butcher’s bill. 

Munich is directed by Stephen Spielberg. He sends a message that revenge does not lead to peace for anyone.  The morality of the never-ending eye for an eye between opposing groups is explored in detail and Spielberg finds it wanting. 

There is little chance that Spielberg’s message will be heard following the horrific and monstrous attacks in Israel this week, and maybe it shouldn’t be, but it gives us pause. 

Munich received five Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Score.  It is all around a good film, although a little slow at times.  It will make you think as the world watches this new round of Middle East bloodshed.  The film runs 2 hours and 20 minutes and can be watched on Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube, etc. for $4. 

Enjoy the weekend and stay safe!