A tale of moral complexity appropriate in our complex times.

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2006)

A lot of people are angry about the film Munich because it is too sympathetic to those they would prefer to hate. This willingness to see humanity in the face of 'the enemy' is precisely why this film is so very important. If everyone could see the humanity of those they hate, how much less violence might there be in the world? Many resist morally complex thinking. It is much easier to see the world in terms of good versus evil. Thinking in absolutes removes unsettling doubts about our place in the world. The problem is, everyone has a point of view, and when pushed to the limit of human experience, people can justify almost anything.
In such difficult times as these, when we all feel threatened and angry at those who engage in senseless violence, it is important to remember how easy it can be to descend into our most savage nature when we feel threatened. Every character in Munich is allowed to have his moment of doubt, even of horror, at the violence he or she commits. Even characters on "the other side" are shown having their doubts before pulling the trigger. Munich asks the question: Should we let the murderers make us into murderers? If we do, what in the end are we defending, and what will be the end of it? Munich wisely refrains from answering this question, perhaps because we are all still waiting to learn the answer.