Just saw Munich ....

[cool user name]

Wow. Extremely powerful movie illustrating the humanity/inhumanity of both sides.

What conflict can take from each soul.

[BlueAlert]

1. While I agree it was a good movie

I only wish Spielberg hadn't rushed it out to get it considered for an oscar nomination.

Still, good effort and good message.

[dsc]

3. rushed it out?

I am sure the release was timed for Oscar but I don't think the film was rushed in any way.

[dsc]

2. It is a fascinating movie.

It is either Speilburg's best or second best film. Schindler's list is amazing as well. Had Brokeback lost to Munich I wouldn't have uttered a word. Great film from beginning to end.

[cool user name]

4. It was terrific and tragic at the same time.

Very powerful.

[derby378]

5. Excellent, disturbing, powerful movie

It's like Taxi Driver or The Deer Hunter in that you might consider it one of the cinematic greats, but it's just so harsh and brutal that you may have trouble sitting through it again.

That said, it's one of Spielberg's best movies ever.

[ewagner]

6. Arrrgggghhhh

I got called away for a phone call just as the movie was ending....what did the text on the screen say right at the very end?

[dannofoot]

7. It also shows a way

in which terrorism can be surgically dealt with; a way that does not include the murder of 600,000 civilians.

Y'know, just sayin....

Okay, since I'm going to be going to bed soon (sinus infection), I'll preempt a few posts and catch up in the morning:

Yes, I think that assasinating the planners and architects of the Munich massacre was a terrific idea, and very well done by Mossad. It likely prevented attacks by these same murderers.

No, I do not think that Mossad is any more a reputable or clean an organization than the KGB or CIA. "Black Ops," "Wet Works," or whatever you want to call them are dirty, usually illegal, and sometimes kill innocent people.

The alternative is to let animals like Carlos the Jackal and others to operate with impunity. Unfortunately, our current administration's mindset is the polar opposite of Golda Mier's...Little Boots prefers to have his loins rattled with bombs that kill thousands rather than have his heart satisfied with the elimination of one criminal.

And please, spare me the "* is a war criminal and assasin too" litany...I know, I know. The thread is about the film "Munich."

[Jade Fox]

16. But as the movie pointed out...

the action against the architects of the Munich massacre started a upward spiraling cycle of retribution and counter-retribution which is still going on.

[ellisonz]

24. But as the title of the movie demonstrates...

the Munich massacre did not start the cycle, rather it was an apex of the depravity of the existing cycle and the ineptness of the West in managing the political situation (the jabs about Avner being abandoned and raised on a Kibbutz). So maybe the message is that retribution and counter-retribution only occur when no political solution is sought? But some of the reviews commented, and I agree, that Spielberg/Roth/Kushner deliberately tried to prevent any grand moral lesson from being drawn.

Edit: spelling.

[Jade Fox]

31. Good points, all. n/t

[fujiyama]

30. While this idea

that operation "Wrath of God" was surgical is correct to some extent, it's worth remembering that some disastrous mistakes were made as well.

The most famous is the killing of the Moroccan waiter in Lillihammer, Norway. The man was walking with his wife and was murdered, mistaken to be a terrorist. Later it was revealed that he was killed by Mossad agents.

While Israel's anger and frustration over the terrorist acts was certainly understandable (considering some countries in Europe were actually letting terrorists go in order to have them not operate in their countries), it also definitely went against all international norms...Ideally, it would have been better to have had the events serve as a reason and reminder to strengthen international cooperation on the apprehension of such murderers and have them extradited, but I think many countries didn't really want to do anything about it as long as it wasn't in their backyard.

[OrwellwasRight]

8. Powerful yes, but I was disappointed.

I thought that the acting was good and all that, and I am not saying it was a terrible movie, but . . .

a) I wanted more about "Munich," which is a fascinating story. It was basically glossed over.
b) I could have been shorter. We got Spielberg's point already.
the sex and the violence, and frankly I didn't find the orgasm believable. If those HORRIBLE and BRUTAL pictures were going through my head, the last thing I would be having is an orgasm, but maybe that is just me.

Just my thoughts. :hi:

[Beausoir]

11. I had heard about the orgasm at the end....and was prepared to be revolted....but it was believable

I didn't find that scene as disturbing as I had been led to believe.

It was a believable moment for me.

[OrwellwasRight]

17. Yeah, like all films with violent content,

that scene was certainly more disturbing for some people than others.


How about Blood Diamond? Have you seen that yet? Now I found that disturbing and had to avert my eyes for many scenes, but I thought it did a better job of telling a story with a message (the romance was ridiculous though, IMHO).

[ellisonz]

25. I have not seen Blood Diamond.

But I will recommend The Good Shepherd despite its flaws.

In regards to Blood Diamond, didn't Kanye already have a song about it?:sarcasm:

[AlCzervik]

9. oh good i have a question for you, i just watched it as well

at the very end why wouldn't the guy "Break bread" with the main character? Was it because he wouldn't go back to Israel?

[ret5hd]

14. Because he (main character) "doesn't exist"

[AlCzervik]

15. that was my other thought, how can you eat with someone that doesn't exist.

thanks.
:hi:

[cool user name]

18. That's what I took from it.

I think the scene was meant to illustrate that Avner was trying to keep what it meant to be a Jew, though he wanted to disavow Israel (which many conflate the two). The character played by Geoffrey Rush, from his look, thought that he being a Jew required him to fight for Israel, in Israel.

That was my take on it.

[Beausoir]

10. Just saw it. It raises so many questions.

Incredible film.

And on an extremely shallow note....Eric Bana....what a fine looking man.

[AlCzervik]

12. damn fine.

[Beausoir]

20. Fine beyond comprehension.

The man is a heavy hitter.

Why Hollywood fixates on lightweights like Orlando Bloom et al, and ignores the superb acting and jaw-dropping good looks of Eric Bana....escapes me.

He's the Big Boy.

[dsc]

13. Yeah he is major league handsome

[cool user name]

19. Ayelet Zurer

The woman who played his wife (Ayelet Zurer) is very beautiful too.

[JI7]

21. the movie didn't seem to get as much attention as i thought or think

it should have .

i saw it and liked it a lot. i know the reviews for it were good, but it didn't get talked about as much .

[JCMach1]

22. That movie had one of the most embarassing scenes I can remember

I really HATED this movie...

[JI7]

23. which scene was that ?

[JCMach1]

28. You have to ask? The sex scene toward the end!

OMG...

It was a HUGE emotional stretch... The screen writing for this movie was exactly like that: strained.

Also, it could have used a good editor. However, it idn't get one because it was a Spielberg 'art' film.

[candidate]

26. Good movie, great message...

much like Kingdom of Heaven, also from 2005; both of them were helmed by incredible directors, but the end product was somehow lacking.

[cool user name]

33. I liked Kingdom of Heaven and its message ...

... but I'm not a big fan of Orlando Bloom.

[SidDithers]

27. I was disappointed...

I'd read Vengeance by George Jonas years ago and seen Sword of Gideon, and was hoping that a big-budget version would tell the complete story. But I think Spielberg makes the mission out to be more of a success than it really was. And the fact that the Spielberg doesn't include in the movie, and doesn't even mention, then killing of the Moroccan waiter in Norway ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillehammer_affair ) was the nail in the coffin for me.

Sid

[fujiyama]

29. I was a bit surprised the Lillihammer incident was never mentioned either

and I remember telling my friend that as we walked out of the theaters, and someone else chimed in, "But it would have been even longer". I had to agree with him.

It could have used better editing probably. I didn't mind the length of the film, but some scenes like the sex scene were just kind of odd. Maybe, Spielburg just can't direct sex scenes all that well. I understand why it was included, but it didn't really work for me.

Though I think the overall directing was good from a technical standpoint. The massacre scenes of the athletes and the explosive conclusion (as disturbing and violent as they were), were as described by the book I had read about the massacre (I think the name was One Day in September).

I think it was a good movie, but had the potential to be much better. BTW, maybe someone can remind me (I saw it over a year ago), but did the film mention that many of the widows of the slain athletes were in fact disappointed by the assassinations? Many of them preferred that they be apprehended and tried for their crimes instead.

Then again, I think for some events, I prefer watching documentaries instead.

Though, I never did figure out the idiotic claim that the film was taking "morally relativistic" viewpoint with regards to terrorism. The RWers criticizing it on that point really were full of shit.

[Aristus]

32. One thing think the movie did well was make you feel pity for the female

Dutch assassin the men kill in revenge for the muurder of Cairan Hind's character.

It was so pathetic and sad, the girl trying to seduce her way out of assassination. She had been a cold-blooded killer, but at the moment of her death, all you felt for her was sorrow. That was a difficult, well-done scene.

[cool user name]

34. Yeah, I have to admit, I felt sorry because she was incredibly fine.

:D

[Mandate My Ass]

35. That scene really got to me as well

there were several, the worst two for me was the one athlete going back into the hotel after he successfully escaped, and later when the families realized the false hope that they all had survived the shoot out at the airport.

It was a gut wrenching movie for sure.

[mtnsnake]

36. It makes one think twice about the difference between vengeance & terrorism

All too often there is little difference between the two.

Very good and powerful movie.