MUNICH

MUNICH: AT LAST, A PERFECT POLITICAL THRILLER
HALDUN ARMAGAN

Making movies is a challenge in itself, both economically and on social-political grounds. And there’s usually a paradox: Working in an established environment, you are free but not independent, as studio executives impose on directors. Let's reverse the situation and say you are acting on your own with no movie moguls interfering. In this case acting being independent is one thing to envy in show business as long as you don't hear “show me the money” as Tom Cruise said in “Jerry Maguire,” which described the situation perfectly.

Steven Spielberg is among the very few lucky ones in Hollywood who is more or less able to say, "I want to make this movie at all costs." A brilliant strategy on his part is to each time make one movie for the box office and one for personal taste, so that it ends up a win-win situation. His last movie, "The War of the Worlds," was the one for the studio’s accounts, if you ask me, and now with his latest movie "Munich," he is redeeming himself by offering a masterpiece of the genre.

Dealing with real political stuff in the commercialized movie world is very rare. By sailing into the safe waters of fiction, none of the big-budget thrillers, such as "Patriot Games," "Enemy of the State," "Clear and Present Danger" and "The Siege," dared to touch hot potatoes. That is exactly the difference with "Munich:” It is totally inspired by, as well as partly based on, true events. Spielberg starts from a real event, the kidnapping and deaths of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the Israeli secret revenge team who went after 11 Palestinian terrorists. The story then follows an unconventional path as Spielberg deliberately stays away from making another "heroic hit men" story. While five-men team carry out their mission they also start questioning it. By standing right between the Israelis and Palestinians, Spielberg has accomplished a very important thing. The movie is so well balanced that along with the revenge squad the audience is given the sentiments of both sides. As the story unfolds, we mourn the tragic fate of the Israeli athletes while we also realize that revenge might not be the right approach, since each eliminated terrorist is replaced by another even more dangerous one.

By delivering a clear message about violence breeding more violence, as rightfully expressed by the team’s leader Avner (beautifully and convincingly played by Eric Bana), "Munich" deserves to be treated as special in its genre. Bearing in mind the Spielberg’s walk down a thorny path, there are very few movies like "Munich" which are strongly acted, efficiently balanced and effectively delivered. "Munich" is certainly one of this season's best films, and Spielberg's finest since "Schindler's List."