The Spielberg

Rating: 7/10 (7 March 2006)

Steven Spielberg is an icon. I know nobody who doesn't respect him as a filmmaker, innovator or producer. In any conversation about movies, you've got to mention Spielberg, in fact, the other day me and some friends were talking about him. It's difficult to explain what "Jaws" was at its time, and how a director could make box office hits like "Jurassic Park" that were actually good pieces of cinema.
The man never did the same thing. He always changed genres and took different roads and decisions. From the extraterrestrial world and his beautiful "E.T", going trough dramatic love ("Always") and children adventures ("Hook"), to profound movies that really have something to say. Here we found the double-faced Spielberg we've seen since forever; the man who did "Minority Report" in 2002 and had fun with Tom Hanks in "Catch me if you can".
Both were good movies, don't get me wrong, but one was more audacious than the other. Last year proves the same. I was talking to my friends and I said to them: "You have to choose one Spielberg movie to watch this year; only one. If you're stupid, you'll choose 'War of the worlds'; if you want to see good stuff, you'll choose 'Munich'". Not one of them answered, but it didn't matter; because this year it happened: "Munich" was a good film and "War of the worlds" wasn't.
It comes after long periods of years, that Spielberg makes a movie like "Munich"; a movie with a statement that means something to him. For this reason, it is a picture he directs with a lot of commitment, playing close attention and checking every detail. Ultimately, the film is beautifully shot, the images are breathtaking, the score is accurate (to expect from master John Williams) and the screenplay (Tony Kushner and Eric Roth) is disturbing; thought provoking.
At the beginning of the film we witness the events occurred in the 1972 Olympics, in Munich. I was watching the images and thought: "This is actually what happened?". My dad gently confirmed my answerThe intelligent Spielberg made a subtle and right decision, leaving the paranoia off the critical scene, which was already real enough for any viewer to tolerate (you'll understand when you watch).
When a director cares about his movie, he shows things as they are, so we can reflect about them; and that's what I mean with audacious. Courage was to shoot that first scene; courage was to shoot a couple of strong sex scenes and some extremely violent, merciless killings. This is an admirable Spielberg because he has nothing to hide.
About the controversy of the film, I'm not taking sides; but if Spielberg is defending the Jews for their actions, he has all the right: he is a Jew. If he doesn't defend them; well he doesn't. Don't try to take sides when you watch it; it's something that happened years ago. Just listen, better watch, the statement "Munich's" director is declaring through his images. The story is so important, that the actors become smaller than it. Sadly, the movie is so perfect, that it becomes tiring, and not very good in the end. But I assure you: you will want to get to the end.