A terrific tale that exceeds normal expectations

Rating: 7/10 (25 January 2015)

'Munich' is not really a movie about Israel vs Palestine, nor it is about right vs wrong, but it is, in fact, a movie about human beings in the conflict between humanity and loyalty.
Steering clear from all stereotypes and expectations, this movie soon shows that it doesn't take any side as it is neither pro-Semitism nor anti-Arabs. The main characters are never seen as heroes, and you will find yourself questioning many choices they make, while their enemies, including the terrorists, are presented with small but amazingly effective details to show their humanity and their struggle, all of which force us to take a step back, and reconsider our prejudices. I especially like the part where one Munich terrorist tells his hostages to calm down and that they will soon get released. Although that doesn't come true as the rescue effort forces them to retaliate, it still shows us that those people are also humans, but were put into the wrong environment and situation, just like the main character himself.
Another great aspect is certainly the characterization. This movie has so many impressive supporting characters, many of which only appear for a few minutes but are still able to leave big impacts on viewers' minds. Characters like Carl (Ciarán Hinds), Ephraim (Geoffrey Rush), Golda Meir (Lynn Cohen), and Papa (Michael Lonsdale) are perfectly cast, and so well-portrayed.
But then, 'Munich', unfortunately, still lacks so much to achieve the masterpiece status. Firstly, many scenes, including the ones that are supposed to be thrilling, seem so slow and dragged-out, which make them very anti-climactic. With the runtime of nearly 3 hours, the movie definitely should have been more tightly edited. Secondly, some scenes, such as the death scenes and the sex scene near the beginning, feel very awkward due to bad acting from the extras, and bad camera work. Sometimes I just can't believe I'm watching a movie made by the same man that directed 'Indiana Jones' and 'Saving Private Ryan'. And finally, I'm not really convinced by Eric Bana's performance. The actor is usually effective in other movies, but in this one, he seems quite bland, especially when put next to all those fantastic supporting actors.
Overall, 'Munich' is a very admirable effort by Steven Spielberg. It has so much depth, and it broke away from many traditions. However, it still could have been much better, had he not rushed the production so much.