The hunters become the hunted

Rating: 9/10 (12 October 2018)

This is a thought-provoking movie, to say the least. At first you get the impression that it will be a straight-forward account of revenge and retribution, the killing or assassination of the individuals responsible for planning the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the story is much more complicated than that. The Israeli assassination squad, although supposedly professionals in their field, do not carry out their tasks with the cold blooded efficiency one normally sees in a James Bond or Arnold Schwartzenegger movie. They fumble with their weapons, hesitate to pull the trigger, set unrealistic parameters regarding "collateral damage" and then are overcome with guilt when any "non-target" is killed. Finally, the hunters become the hunted, realizing that the underworld of paid informants can also be turning over information about them to their enemies. Paranoia (displayed primarily by Avner, the team leader) that is created by "being hunted" is combined with the realization that the "targets" of their mission may not have all be directly connected to the Munich massacre and the total purpose of their mission may never be explained to them. Added to this are the "unintended consequences" of their actions, as they realize that each individual they eliminate is often replaced by one or more successors who are even more dedicated to the goal of destroying Israel. And, as Avner's conversation with the Palestinian Ali shows, each side in the conflict can demonstrate a moral purpose to their cause, justifying whatever actions they may take, no matter how those actions violate the morality of their society. What began as a tale of black-and-white issues becomes, in the end, a morass of decisions, actions, consequences, and, sadly, a failure to reach any conclusion or closure to the anger and suffering caused by the initial act of terrorism.