Munich

REVIEW by Harriet Robbins

Steven Spielberg's film MUNICH reflects the tragic events at the 1972 Summer Olympics, the killing ground for the Palestinian Black September terrorist group which murdered all those Israeli athletes. In a fluid style, the film dramatizes the covert action taken by ex-Mossad officers as they hunt down the killers with a vengeance.

Spielberg worked closely with screenwriters Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, and with an excellent ensemble cast, in fashioning his cloak-and-dagger thriller, which moves along with ease and grace.

The film upset me greatly. It is no ordinary film; it is tortured and angry. But it does represent our world today and made me wonder if its violence will ever end.

There are no heroes in MUNICH, only victims. The idealistic hit team becomes victims as well. In the insanity of it all, the feud feeds itself, all ethical and moral values disappear.

I hope we can soon return to sanity, for we are on a road to destruction. MUNICH reflects the agonies we all feel today. Who can we trust? Who can we believe in?

Spielberg has given us a film that we may not like because of its honesty and brutal truth. It is a shocking and deadly work. It's time to reflect, time to to change the way we live. It's time to hope, time to bring humanity back into our lives.