Munich is easily Spielberg's best film since 1993's Schindler's List! One of the best films of 2005!

Rating: 9/10 (16 February 2007)

This is easily one of Spielberg's best films since 1993's Schindler's List! Munich, the great Steven Spielberg's new political thriller retracing the horrific events of the massacres of the Israeli athletes in 1972, is not only the best film from Steven Spielberg since 1993, it is also the film that is sure to turn off many of his loyal supporters around the world.
Munich has no easy answers. From it's beginning to it's end, the film's graphic subject matter will not be easy for those to take.
Eric Bana, Oscar worthy in every way, portrays Israeli Mossad (intelligence) officer, Avner Kauufman who was years ago a bodyguard of the then Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.
Kauufman is a loyal Israeli supporter who wants nothing more than for a strong Isreal and it's citizens.
Hours after the massacre at Munich, Avner is contacted by an Israeli intelligence officer played by Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush to plan a top secret mission of retaliation against the members of Black September, a Palestinian terrorist organization responsible for the murders of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games.
Avner is brought together with a group of European Jews each with a certain specialty, one who is great with weapons, and for getaways, one for creating explosives, one who is excellent with forging documents, and one for clean up, leaving no traces of Israeli responsibility.
The first sets of retaliations goes as planned as the group led by Avner and his hit-man team track down and "assassinate" each of the Black September members responsible for the assassinations in Munich.
Shortly afterwords, the tables are turned against Avner and his team as Black September and it's members begin tracking Avner's team in retaliation for the first bombings. Avner starts feeling the pressure when members of his own team are marked for assassination, and after some of the bombings go horribly wrong. This starts to mark questions in Avner and the audience's mind about what is right and what is wrong in dealing with terrorism.
This begins a long game of cat and mouse between the Israels and the members of Black September as they chase each other across the globe, from Europe to the Middle East, searching for revenge on one another.
One of the biggest and most tense scenes is where Avner, and a member of Black September argue each other's point, Avner justifying the existence of Israel, and the Black September member arguing for a homeland for the Palestinians.
There are no points in confronting terrorism, is the movie's message, each time you retaliate, the other side will also retaliate.
This is definitely Spielberg's darkest film, with some of the most graphic violence recreating the assassinations of the Israeli athletes, and those looking for simple answers will not find them in this film.
Spielberg has raised some serious questions, about the state of Israel, it's existence, and how they handle and justify their defense against terrorism, and this film could anger some of his most loyal fans.
However, I applaud Spielberg for the questions, that he and his film have laid out, and the questions it asks for how our country is leading the current War on Terrorism.
One word about this film, it is surely going to be controversial, some will absolutely hail it, and some will absolutely hate it. This film will surely divide people, into some really hard decisions, that's for sure! Four stars out of four!
Nominated for five 2005 academy awards including Best Picture and Best Director, and easily one of Spielberg's overlooked masterpieces of dark drama.