Haunting yet Beautiful

Rating: 9/10 (11 May 2006)

Here are the facts; 11 Isrealis were murdered by the terrorist group known as Black September and because of this, Israel responded by killing those responsible with covert operations. The rest of the movie is story driven. With that in mind you must understand that my review of this movie is purely from the entertainment point of view.
When I first saw the length of the movie I was thinking this was going to be hard to get through. However when the movie ended I was surprised because it didn't seem so long to me. It is the story of the men who were given the mission to hunt down and kill the alleged planners of the Munich massacre that happened during the Olympics in 1972. There are some strong scenes in this movie that are not for the faint of heart. I was pleased with the entertainment value of the movie although I do believe that Spielburg placed some of his own liberal ideals within it. Eric Bana (Black Hawk Down, Hulk, Troy) does a fine acting job. The whole time you see that he is totally committed to this mission however does he remain committed? The realism in this movie is quite dramatic and I feel it is needed. This movie is not for the little ones.
I look at this movie as what might have happened. I don't look at it as the truth of what happened. It shows that the Isralis weren't cold blooded murders but it also shows they had no remorse for those they killed. Ironic isn't it?
**SPOILERS--DO NOT READ IF YOU Haven't SEEN THE MOVIE** The raid in Beruit was very well done. I was amazed at the professionalism displayed when portraying the Isreali soldiers who arrived just before the raid. I like the idea of them holding the pictures while looking at the men just before shooting them.
The dramatic build up of the phone bomb concerning the little girl was superb. I truly thought she was going to die. And then the other woman who lost her sight, very dramatic and eye opening for the main character played by Eric Bana. However I must say the most disturbing piece in the whole movie is when the remaining members of the team found the woman who killed one of the teammates. Her realizing that she had just been shot and then going to her cat knowing she was dying was a very strong image. It gets stronger. The blood started to run from her throat and Bana's character just stared in disbelief, I must say that was on of the most disturbing images I have seen in film in a good while.
In the end the main character believes what he did was all for nothing and you can tell he is haunted by it. Yet he still sees those athletes in his dreams reminding him of why he took the mission. I believe the only reason he was able to fight madness was because his wife through all of this let him know that she loved him and no matter what she will always love him.
If you have the time and are about to give it an honest viewing without distraction, then I do recommend you watch this movie. If you don't have the time and cannot sit and watch without constant interruption, then you will not be able to follow it and it is a waste of your time.