Spielberg's Tale of Vengeance

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2006)

Munich is the kind of film that few directors dare to make. It is the true kind of controversial film unlike those that claim to be controversial to attract attention. It tells the tale of 5 Israelis that were chosen by the government of Israel to hunt down those who were responsible for the Black September massacre of 11 Israeli atheletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The film version of Vengeance, the nonfiction novel telling the tale of this assassination group from the point of view of "Avner" the leader of the group written by George Jonas, has been regarded as either "Pro-Israel" or "Anti-Israel". I would consider it neither, contrary to its source material Vengeance. Spielberg is obviously Pro-Israel in real life but in the film I believe he states that Israel accomplished nothing by sending out the assassination squad headed by Avner except to show the point that Israel is not weak. Though did this symbol stop terrorist violence in the 1970s? No, it merely slowed down a few operations because as Avner stated when one head of Ephraim's monster was cut off, many others struck up in its place. Steven Spielberg's film shows how it is futile to fight fire with fire because all that results is more bloodshed. Or as Avner states in his foreward to the 2005 version of Vengeance "'An eye for an eye' may seem an appropriate response, but it is not a solution." The film tried to put out the message that violence cannot solve these kinds of things and that people do not realize the extents a human being will go to to protect his/her country. Munich is a masterpiece and I feel it was not appreciated enough in the year of 2005 and deserved to win the Oscar for best picture. Hopefully Munich will be remembered in the future for all that it tried to accomplish and the change that it made in me.
Also, just so you know I am a 15-year old and I have seen Munich and read the book Vengeance.