Munich (2005)
Dir: Steven Spielberg

IMDB Synopsis: After the Black September capture and massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, five men are chosen to eliminate the people responsible for that fateful day.

Roger Ebert said of Munich: As a thriller, “Munich” is efficient, absorbing, effective. As an ethical argument, it is haunting.

For Spielberg, Munich falls under the category of “serious” film, or “historical drama.” This starts with Empire of the Sun, followed by Schindler’s List, Amistad, Lincoln, Bridge of Spies, and finally The Post. There may be other films that need shuffled into his deck of “historical dramas” but this is a good start.

Much of the starring cast at the time were up and comers, most notable being Eric Bana and Daniel Craig. The rest of the cast is a golden list of prestigious character actors (Ciaran Hinds, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Lonsdale, to name a few).

Scorsese once said (paraphrasing), “My actors don’t act, they live the scenes.” This holds true for the actors chosen in Munich and it shows.

Before Bridge of Spies, Munich was Spielberg’s only spy thriller and for his first foray into the genre, he immediately dives into the deep end of the political thriller stylings. On all levels, Spielberg takes everything great about the genre, including the language from all the directors (see: Hitchcock, Wells, Costa-Gavras, etc.), and blasts the film through his own prism of storytelling. It is a masterful job of directing. Similar to Jaws in this manner – the film is a directorial symphony as it weaves the staging, camera work, lighting, and editing together in a nail biting ride of tension, violence and paranoia. The film remains controversial due to its subject matter, and Spielberg proudly carries that torch right through to the final setting, which raises even further questions and is an ominous reminder that we all live in Munich.

To crew the film Spielberg brought the band back together – from Music, to Cinematographer, to Editor. For the screenplay he brought in some new blood (for his productions, at least) with heavy hitters Tony Kushner and Eric Roth based on the book Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team, written by George Jonas. The script knows it is an espionage thriller and is everything it needs to be and more – carrying the viewer breathlessly through the story and keeping a pace or two ahead as it dances along that high-wire. The entirety of the production is a masterclass of filmmaking.

This is an imminently rewatchable film that works on every level. If you are looking for observations on the global politic – the film speaks directly to it, or if you are looking for one of the very best global spy thrillers tailored to adults – it does not disappoint. One of the most surprising elements of the film is the omission of the mandatory Spielberg “all is well” bookends of most of his films, which includes Saving Private Ryan and War of the Worlds. I call these bookends The Norman Rockwell Effect and was very thankful he wisely chose not to try and put a bow on such a rough ride.

This is also one of the only films in which Spielberg is open to showing nudity and it is cold and ruthless and chilling. Once again showcasing his masterful control of the art of filmmaking. It is an unforgettable scene.

Munich is a deep and thoughtful treatise on violence, revenge, religion, and the culpability of nation states.

Within Spielberg’s cannon Munich is in the top 10 of all of his films.