Murder takes its toll in 'Munich'
by Eleanor Ringel Gillespie

In some ways, "Munich" is its own worst enemy. The bare, brutal, heart-rending facts of what happened at the Munich Olympics in 1972, when Palestinian terrorists massacred 11 Israeli athletes, continually upstage the semi-fictional account of the tragedy's vengeful aftermath shown us by director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner. The picture revisits the unspeakable incident repeatedly, sometimes as actual news footage, other times as reenactments of what may have gone on inside the athletes' rooms or on the airport runway where everything fell apart. In one bit of virtuoso filmmaking, Spielberg films a terrorist in a ski mask heading out to the balcony and then cuts to the infamous real-life image of him out there, machine gun in hand. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
After 11 Israeli athletes were murdered by terrorists at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, a secret Israeli squad was assigned to track down and kill the Palestinians suspected to have planned the attack. The film examines that clandestine mission and the personal toll it takes on the team and the man who led it.

FILM FACTS ...
Universal Pictures
'Munich'

Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Geoffrey Rush, Mathieu Kassovitz, Ayelet July Zurer
Release date: Dec. 23, 2005
Rating: R for strong graphic violence, some sexual content, nudity and language.
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READ THE REVIEW

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: B
"Munich merges the Jaws Spielberg and the Schindler's List Spielberg. The murders are brisk, bloody and intense. ... However, the conscionable Spielberg isn't always Spielberg at his best."

Austin American-Statesman: 4 of 5 stars
"The drama stands with great thrillers like 'Serpico' and 'The French Connection.'"

The Palm Beach Post: B+
"Spielberg's instincts may lean more towards blockbusters like War of the Worlds, but if he makes thoughtful fare like Munich every few years, he will come closer to realizing his potential."


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