Vicious Circle Of Revenge

Rating: Null/10 (8 April 2009)

Spielberg's 'Munich' is pretty much on the level of his best works like 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Schindler's List' but unlike those movies, this one is underrated. I didn't know what to expect from this movie but after seeing it, I was very impressed at how Spielberg tackled the issues without taking sides. He presents the facts and the dilemmas that arise with a fine understanding of the complex situations.
'Munich's execution is similar to that of 'Saving Private Ryan'. It's raw, it's graphic, and it's dark. The colours are a little washed out and this makes the images look more gloomy but also real. The minimal yet efficient use of music is a clever choice and the camera-work is superb.
The screenplay is fantastic. I don't mind long movies as long as they don't bore the viewer. The story is well told brilliantly maintaining the suspense and element of drama. The characters are beautifully written and they come off as humans on screen rather than caricatures. With 'Munich' there was not one moment when I felt that it dragged. The pacing was well maintained.
Without casting Hollywood bigwigs, Spielberg opts for an impressive International cast. and I love movies that have actors from different parts of the world. Here you have Australians Eric Bana and Geoffrey Rush (who're cast as Israelis), a British Daniel Craig, a French Matthieu Kassovitz, an Irish Ciarán Hinds, a German Hanns Zischler, an Israeli Ayelet Zurer and a Canadian Marie-Josée Croze. All these actors do nothing short of excellent. The film itself rests on Bana's shoulders and the actor proves that he can carry a complex film.
Overall, 'Munich' is a stupendous political thriller. Spielberg has succeeded again and it is no surprise why he is known as one of the greatest and most versatile filmmakers of today.