An Array of philosophical and emotional Thought

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2006)

5 hours later, I'm still tense. I'm physically exhausted. My body and my mind both ache. Munich has this effect not merely by being a thriller, but through its messages. In fact, I'd say it's more the latter.
It's plot serves three purposes. First, it discusses the conflict that seems to perpetually surround Israel and Palestine. Second, it acts as a character study, one that examines what a man should fight for, and what this fighting can cause. Lastly, it addresses what loyalty truly is.
Plot point one: Though Roger Ebert seemed to feel that Munich was only a film that gave facts that the audience was supposed to draw a conclusion from, and despite the fact that Munich's director, Steven Spielberg, said he thinks there will be peace in the Middle East in his lifetime, I felt that the movie really suggested peace is going to take a very long time to arrive in the region. The picture's protagonist, Avner, boldly states this once his experience has ended. Though I'm getting a mixed message from what the movie said and what Spielberg said, I think that, unfortunately, the movie's message is accurate. Considering that many Muslims feel Israel belongs to them, there's going to inevitably be trouble.
Israeli Jews aren't going to give up their land anytime soon, either. In this day and age, Israel represents Judaism. It's what the Jews have, after the many centuries following the Diaspora.
This sets up a conflict that won't end any time soon, and I think that Munich realizes this. There is no inspirational ending, just a realistic one.
Plot point 2: Avner is the leader of an assassination squad, sent by Israel to take out those responsible for the Munich attacks. In a nutshell, the killing takes a toll on him. We've seen the James Bond movies where Bond kills, kills, sleeps with women, and kills some more. Though Avner kills, too, he makes Bond look like a sick, sadistic madman, completely indifferent to taking human life. This is because Avner experiences something that puts guilt forever upon his shoulders. One might wonder why this is a significant part of the story; it's not like normal people have to deal with that. Well, I, for one, have to choose a career quite soon; I've often considered the military. I don't think that I'll take this path precisely because of what Avner experiences. In fact, even if one isn't actually killing in the military, or even in the military at all, he or she still supports it. This indirectly supports the killing. I'm not saying war is bad, as I feel it is sometimes necessary. But it will inevitably have this effect on all who take part, and the motive for going to war must outweigh this. Munich asks if fighting over Israel outweighs this, and that leads me to my next and final point.
Plot point 3: I'm not trying to get all political here, but the movie even applies to things like the current war in Iraq. Now I admit that some soldiers will never see direct conflict, but a surprisingly large amount do. Is their desensitization worth fighting in Iraq? I'm not saying it isn't, because maybe it is. Nor am I saying that it is, because maybe it isn't. We have to decide for ourselves on that issue. The movie also shows Avner becoming less patriotic to Israel because he doesn't feel his actions are justified or necessary. An Israeli government official subtly criticizes him for this at the end. This parallels a lot of debate today in the U.S. Are people who criticize the war in Iraq unpatriotic? The movie implies that they are not unpatriotic, that they simply wish to improve the place they love.
I dislike addressing politics in manners like I just did because I know that it will inevitably stir up controversy, that some people might say that this review was helpful to them because they agreed with it, and that some might say it was not helpful because they disagreed with it. The same support (or lack of it) will go to this film for the same reasons. Though it is mostly a politically neutral film (finally), there are very slight leanings to the left side. I am slightly on the other side of the dividing line, yet this movie still spoke to me with many powerful messages. And I respect it for that.