I don’t think I've ever seen a Steven Spielberg movie I didn't like. Well, I guess there was 1941, but even that one had a couple of funny scenes. So admittedly, I'm not sure that I can be totally objective when it comes to his most recent project, Munich. There is also the fact that I have a somewhat of a personal stake in the events that sparked the main part of the movie. I was at the Munich Olympics at the time of the kidnapping and murder of the Israeli athletes. I was only 10 years old, but I was completely aware of what had happened and was horrified. What I didn't know then was what was sparked in the aftermath of the killings. Munich is based on the book 'Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team' by George Jonas and it fills us in on what did take place afterwards.

It is, first and foremost, a story of revenge. Revenge against those who use terrorist methods to attempt to frighten us into submission. Revenge against those who kill innocents with the ease that most of us only use to squash a bug. In short, it is an attempt to find justice, where there is none. Spielberg's film focuses on a team of agents who are recruited by Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir to hunt down and kill those responsible for the deaths of the athletes. What comes into play however is that revenge is a messy thing. One comes to wonder about the moral implications of what is being done. By lowering yourself to the level of those you seek revenge against, do you not become as bad as they are? Does not the monster hunter then become the monster?

My personal opinion is one that rides the fence. In a sense, the death penalty is not only punishment but also an act of revenge. However, I am totally for the death penalty. It is not an act that I celebrate, but rather one I abhor. It is evil, but it is a necessary evil. If you murder someone, you've earned nothing more than the right to join your victim in the very place you sent them. Succumbing to the death penalty is not our responsibility, but the responsibility of the one who committed the crime. Period.

In the case of those who were hired to hunt down the responsible parties involved in the death of the Israeli athletes, the case is a little different however. This is more an act of vigilantism, without the benefit of a court. Guilt is decided by the hunters based on information they receive. I have to admit to riding the fence on this one. Do I feel the guilty parties deserved their 'death sentences?' Absolutely. But without the benefit of trial there is too strong a chance of taking down someone equally as innocent as those you seek revenge for.

Spielberg's film, while it does not follow the books exactly, still offers a powerfully emotional look at some of the men who were involved in this act of revenge. Eric Bana stars as Avner, the leader of the team… and the emotional crux if the movie. He starts off as a strong-willed leader, completely intent on doing his duty. But over the course of the movie his emotions begin to unravel as he questions the validity of their cause.

As is the case with any Spielberg film, the cinematography was absolutely gorgeous, even in the moments of extreme horror. The new DVD from Universal delivers this picture with a pristine transfer. The DVD is being released in different versions, one a single disc affair with only an introduction by Steven Spielberg to serve as an extra feature. There is also a 2-disc set that offers a lot more in the way of extra features, but unfortunately I did not have that one to review.

Munich is a terrific film, and one that absolutely deserved its many Academy Award nominations. I highly recommend it, though I plan on getting the 2-disc version as soon as I can. Considering my personal interest, any additional documentaries on the subject will be most fascinating to me.

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Cohen, Daniel Craig
Extras: An Introduction by Steven Spielberg
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 5/9/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Strong Graphic Violence, Some Sexual Content, Nudity and Language)
Website

We'll give Munich an A.