Munich | DVD Review

MUNICH is Steven Spielberg’s historical thriller about the team of five Israeli men whose mission was to track down the members of Palestinian terrorist group, Black September – the group behind the tragedy at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich, Germany, where 11 Israeli athletes were murdered after being held hostage. It is not just a moral conflict story about the nature of right and wrong despite its focus on heroes becoming detached from the brutality of their own lives. It is also an energetic application of Spielberg’s calculated mastery of the popcorn flick to an event that showcases a common and unfortunate human answer to violence, more violence.

Dark and difficult to stomach, MUNICH had a modest success in theatres and an equally modest acknowledgement within the awards circuit. Spielberg’s filmic interpretation is not specifically about the Munich killings but more so about what came afterwards, while always paying mind to what came before and led up to the event. In telling this story, he is walking a fine line trying not to offend while remaining authentic. I don’t doubt Spielberg’s genuine interest in remaining objective here. In fact, it was imperative he do so to successfully force his audience to question the usage of violence as a means to resolve conflict. Had he shown the Jewish retaliators as nothing more than a beaten people unquestionably right in their quest for revenge, than he would have created nothing more than a sympathy inducing manipulation. Of course there is something of a sympathetic element for these assassins who see themselves as soldiers but that’s inevitable as their people were undeniably wronged in Munich at the hands of murderers. Only these five men are not your typical soldiers. They’re toy-makers, antiques dealers, expecting fathers. They are regular men with one common dedication among them, Israel. Their convictions can only take them so far as when it comes time to actually pull the trigger or detonate the bomb, the awareness that they are about to take someone’s life becomes a painful curse they hadn’t realized their beliefs might not be able to carry them through.


The question of objectivity is raised again on a DVD special feature, an introduction to the film by Spielberg. For a few minutes before the film begins, Spielberg describes the inspiration behind the project and touches on how they pieced the story together. Thinly veiled as a brief insight into the production, this is merely an opportunity for Spielberg to defend himself to his Jewish critics who accused him of misrepresenting the Mossad as unjustified monsters. When the DVD is loaded, there are no options offered. Placing this introduction as an option when you select to play the film only ensures that more people who have rented or purchased this film will hear Spielberg’s defense. Aside from scene selection and language configuration, the DVD offers nothing else to the consumer. There is a 2-disc special edition that boasts numerous featurettes on the film and the tragedy itself but this will set yuo back a couple of bucks.

MUNICH does not pass judgment on nations but on mankind, asking us to find the better way. As the Israel/Palestine conflict and numerous other violent world conflicts are far from over, and despite MUNICH’s rather violent approach to advocate peace, it still makes a powerful and intelligent argument for immediate change. Rent it.

Movie rating – 4

Disc Rating – 0.5