Matthew ShallueMunich (2005)
Munich is the story of a secret Israeli team tasked with finding and killing the Palestinians believed to be responsible for the 1972 Munich slaughter of eleven Israeli athletes. Based on real events, Munich focuses as much on the emotional cost that the Israeli team endures to complete their mission. The brunt of the mental strain falls on Avner (Bana), as the leader of the team, the decision of how and when to eliminate the targets falls on him.
Watching Eric Bana’s character, is watching a man’s mind unravel. As the each event unfolds, Avner is pushed further and further into do things that he is not comfortable with. At first he sees the killings he and the team carry out as necessary, for the greater good, and for country. Overtime, he begins to question if the removal of the marked Palestinians will do anything more than create openings for even madder men.
His mental state becomes more and more fragile as one by one; his team members are targeted and murdered. As he sinks deeper into paranoia, he begins to crack, tearing apart his room, looking for booby-traps in this mattress, and telephone. After scouring his room and not finding anything, Avner is still unable to feel at ease and ends up sleeping on the floor of his closet.
The supporting cast was put together with the same attention to detail as the rest of the film. Each team member serves a different purpose, helping to create a believable world. Daniel Craig plays Steve, a wheelman who would all too happy to ditch the plan of using bombs to remove targets and use a move direct approach, a gun. Ciaran Hinds is Carl, the older more experienced operative. Carl functions as more of an advisor to Avner than anything else. He offers guidance and backs up the decisions Avner makes. Of course if your plan is to use bombs to kill people, you need a bomb maker. That is where Robert (Mathieu Kassovitz) comes in. Hanns Zischler rounds out the Israeli team as Hans, a document forger.
The backdrop for Munich is set in the 1970’s and watching the movie, you would think that it was filmed in the 70s. The buildings, cars, clothing, and hairstyles are recreated with such detail; I would challenge anyone to find inconsistencies. I am in constant awe, when I think about the level to research and coordination needed to pull off a film of this scale. Creating a city from 35 years ago is one thing. Developing sets for Munich must have been something else entirely.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, Hanns Zischler, Ayelet Zurer, Geoffery Rush, Michael Lonsdale, Mathieu Amalric
MPAA Rating: R
Runtime: 164 minutes
Watching Eric Bana’s character, is watching a man’s mind unravel. As the each event unfolds, Avner is pushed further and further into do things that he is not comfortable with. At first he sees the killings he and the team carry out as necessary, for the greater good, and for country. Overtime, he begins to question if the removal of the marked Palestinians will do anything more than create openings for even madder men.
His mental state becomes more and more fragile as one by one; his team members are targeted and murdered. As he sinks deeper into paranoia, he begins to crack, tearing apart his room, looking for booby-traps in this mattress, and telephone. After scouring his room and not finding anything, Avner is still unable to feel at ease and ends up sleeping on the floor of his closet.
The supporting cast was put together with the same attention to detail as the rest of the film. Each team member serves a different purpose, helping to create a believable world. Daniel Craig plays Steve, a wheelman who would all too happy to ditch the plan of using bombs to remove targets and use a move direct approach, a gun. Ciaran Hinds is Carl, the older more experienced operative. Carl functions as more of an advisor to Avner than anything else. He offers guidance and backs up the decisions Avner makes. Of course if your plan is to use bombs to kill people, you need a bomb maker. That is where Robert (Mathieu Kassovitz) comes in. Hanns Zischler rounds out the Israeli team as Hans, a document forger.
The backdrop for Munich is set in the 1970’s and watching the movie, you would think that it was filmed in the 70s. The buildings, cars, clothing, and hairstyles are recreated with such detail; I would challenge anyone to find inconsistencies. I am in constant awe, when I think about the level to research and coordination needed to pull off a film of this scale. Creating a city from 35 years ago is one thing. Developing sets for Munich must have been something else entirely.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, Hanns Zischler, Ayelet Zurer, Geoffery Rush, Michael Lonsdale, Mathieu Amalric
MPAA Rating: R
Runtime: 164 minutes
