"Inspired by historic events"

Rating: 6/10 (23 December 2005)

It's hard to argue against the artistic qualities of this film, after all you would expect that from Mr. Spielberg. However, it is the idea and the message that is missing a point by failing, frankly, to pick a side. "Picking sides is not what filmmaker is supposed to do" - one might argue. Perhaps... but not when it comes to this subject. A subject so close to my heart and to the heart of any Jew, including, hopefully, Mr. Spielberg himself.
Inevitably, any human being put in Avner position would have moral doubts. But, let's look at history and observe that the main character returned to Israel and led an elite tank unit in the Yom Kipur war of 1973 that shortly followed the events depicted (see Sword of Gideon made in 1986 with Steven Bauer). Those who know, know the psychological training an elite Israeli soldier, let alone a Mossad agent, has to go through. Someone in Avner's position would not have any qualms about ridding this earth of the scum that he'd killed.
To put it simply, Spielberg picked a wrong historical example to drive the point the liberal origins of which are very clear in the modern context of the debate about civilized approach to the war on terror, in general, and Arab/Israeli conflict in particular.