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Movie Mix

The Morality of 'Munich'

By Jordan Elgrably, AlterNet. Posted December 24, 2005.


Spielberg's startling new film, 'Munich,' is an incisive argument against the use of violence to resolve the Mideast conflict.
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In 1972, Black September, a wing of Arafat's Al Fatah movement kidnapped and then killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team during the Munich games. This set in motion a series of reprisals by the Israelis, including targeted assassinations of Palestinians, and continuing acts of terrorism by militant groups against Israeli, European and American targets. Today we are no closer to an end to the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, nor to a lasting peace agreement that addresses equally the needs of both Israeli and Palestinian peoples.

Now comes "Munich," a Hollywood feature film, co-written by playwright Tony Kushner and screenwriter Eric Roth, and directed by Steven Spielberg. Even before the film's release, neo-conservative critics have attacked what they perceive as a liberal bias in the film's portrayal of Palestinian terrorists and their would-be Israeli assassins.

Never having considered Spielberg a political filmmaker, I went to an early screening of "Munich" with low expectations, surprised that he would even tackle the subject. Yet the story that unfolded proved to be an incisive argument against the use of violence, under any circumstances, as a means to achieve political objectives. While the Munich attack brought the Palestinian struggle into millions of homes around the world and as such put the decades-old conflict on the map, it also embroiled Israeli intelligence services in black operations to assassinate its enemies wherever they might be found. Palestinian terrorism created an image problem for the Palestinian people, whose best interests I would argue were, and still are betrayed by savage acts of violence against Israeli civilians.

And by engaging Black September and other terrorist groups on their own violent terms, Israel betrayed its declared values as a Western-style democracy that eschewed the death penalty in 1954 for ordinary crimes (and only exercised the death penalty once, for Adolf Eichmann's "extraordinary" crimes, in 1962).

Like Hany Abu-Assad's recent film "Paradise Now," which humanizes two would-be Palestinian suicide bombers from Nablus, "Munich" is as much an argument about the futility of violence to resolve conflict as it is a cogent historical drama. It is shot in a gritty documentary style and may remind some filmgoers of the early work of European director Costas-Gavras, his political thriller "Z" in particular.

In fact, "Munich" is the work of a mature filmmaker--one who does not appear beholden to popular American Jewish opinion that Israel is always the underdog. The film depicts Palestinian and other Arab characters as human beings, and it chronicles the change of heart that Israeli agents experience as they go about their clandestine mission to assassinate those the Israeli state identified as responsible for the Munich operation.


Digg!

Jordan Elgrably is artistic director of the Levantine Cultural Center in Los Angeles.


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And it continues...
Posted by: tcx2 on Dec 24, 2005 1:36 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Hate only leads to more hate.

Now that America has been brought into the Holy War as well by the neo-conservatives, I expect to see this bloody fight degenerate and this Palestine/Israel conflict will make its way back to the US. And I don't mean the stuff al-Qaeda is doing.

Was watching C-SPAN a few weeks ago with Al Franken. He starts a Question/Answer session and this lady starts ranting on about Paul Wolfowitz and the other Jewish neo-cons and how disrespectful she thought he was. Both Franken and the lady are Jewish. She stopped just short of wanting Paul's head.

There will be a backlash, and I imagine anti-Semitism will rise. This is probably what Spielberg is trying to prevent.

Many Americans, including myself, had little idea about the extent of the Palestine/Israel conflict or what exactly it meant. To a very large degree, the right-wingers standing behind Texas George and his war on terror are xenophobic bordering on racists. To attack Americans, these arabs were dropped down a few notches. And by arab, I mean just that. ALL arabs. We are talking about people who have not stepped onto a college campus or been experienced to real diversity. Their idea of diversity is walking through Wal-Mart and having to deal with people who are different from themselves.

It's a stereotype to think of Bush supporters as pick-up driving rednecks, who likely own a shotgun or three. But between you and me, there is a lot of scary truth to it. Once these red states start turning blue (and I don't mean in the democrat sense), it might not be pretty. If they ever find out that they've been duped, that we are locked in what increasing looks like a war on behalf of Israel, well... to many of these people there isn't a whole lot of difference between a Jew and a Muslim.

And it doesn't help matters that the president has refused to define precisely who the "terrorists" are, or what will ever bring about an end to this war on terror.

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» RE: And it continues... Posted by: codingguy
Its difficult to preach to anyone when we (the US) practices ......
Posted by: Pepper on Dec 24, 2005 4:37 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
.....similar behavior. It appears hypocritical. We are doing the same thing. We aren't arresting, trying and convicting perpetrators for 9-11. Instead we are arresting, transporting and torturing people without any due process.

How can we condemn anyone else for doing the same thing. We have no credibility. We are acting as terrorists. Ask the women, children and old people of Iraq and now that the bombing has resumed there is no discernment or discrimination as to whom we bomb. It can be anyone and we don't care. Sounds familiar doesn't it??? Sounds like Isreal and the Palestinians. WE are moving more in their direction then they are moving toward peace. How sad.

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Be fair
Posted by: daniel1982 on Dec 24, 2005 7:00 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
neo-conservative critics have attacked what they perceive as a liberal bias in the film's portrayal of Palestinian terrorists and their would-be Israeli assassins.

Be fair. This movie has been attacked by both Palestinian and Israeli groups and governments.

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» RE: Be fair Posted by: Asses of Evil
» RE: Be fair Posted by: alone_for_peace
Surprising Spielberg
Posted by: Michiganman on Dec 24, 2005 12:54 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Three cheers Steven Speilberg, after making your billions perhaps you may feel a bit of a debt to humanity. Non violent resistance is indeed an honorable topic. Wow, who would have thought we would see this from Steven.Excellent!!!
But of course the war cult right wingers will pooh pooh this film as unrealistic. Surely God wants all enemies smited and their eyes plucked out...pitiful

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» RE: Surprising Spielberg Posted by: Halaby
another great film
Posted by: liberalibrarian on Dec 24, 2005 1:22 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I haven't seen Munich and do intend to. I think that Spielberg first entered into the political commentary about violence in his amazing "Shindler's List". If Munich is even deeper--then I can't wait to see it. Kudos to Speilberg for pursuing the much-needed message that violence in today's world will do nothing but inflame more violence. It speaks volumns in light of the "bring 'em on" mentality of our current administration and the whole neo-con attitude of certain leaders worldwide.

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What can a movie about war teach us about peace?
Posted by: Sojourner on Dec 25, 2005 7:56 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
From the description given, it sounds as though Spielberg has gotten the message that war-making has nothing in common with peace-making. When ‘justice’ is defined as a life for a life, an evil for an evil, it is the justification for any and every war.

That leaves the question whether a portrayal of war’s evils, for the sake of theatrics, teaches us anything about peace. I think not. “Munich” seems to have the same message that Shakespeare gave us in “Hamlet:” one killing only leads to another. It makes for action and drama but teaches nothing about peace.

I admit that a film teaching peace would likely be a box office flop. It seems it takes more than a movie to make a difference. How about a movie about that for a change?

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» Point noted. Posted by: Sojourner
» AntiWar Movies Posted by: kk33deg
Not black or white - Just truth
Posted by: navistic50 on Dec 25, 2005 9:10 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I thank Mr. Spielberg for taking this subject matter on. Distant memory serves to state that this is not the first movie make about a hit squad of Israeli agents going after the terrorists of Munich. But in the orginal movie, the Mossad was involved and it was (the film) protrayed as a black and white event, with the Isreali's being the victim. No mercy was shown to anyone in the film, and all of the bad guys were killed. (The End)... but not all of the truth. The issues that we face in this day and age cannot be resolved with violence, ever. Violence only spawns more of the same, with a continual escalation until, well you can see my point. If the human race cannot educate and enlighten itself before it succumbs to total meltdown, none of the gains of mankind will be used for benevolent or a balanced lifestlye for billions.

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Unimpressed
Posted by: longcipher on Dec 26, 2005 3:28 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I am not quite sure what the hubbub is over Spielberg's Munich. I saw it on Friday and it was just "more of the same" from Spielberg. His films have the emotional depth of a wading pool and I am ALWAYS suspect when someone gives his work a glowing review.

This is being described as his more "mature" film yet. I think he is afforded leniency whenever there isn't a monster in one of his films.

Whether you like the film or not, there are MAJOR problems:

1) The characters are extremely forced and never feel real. And anyone who has ever had a conversation with an Israeli knows they don't talk to each other in the bizarre, frilly language used in the film.

2) The final scene, the "climax", if you will, is extremely distasteful and smacks of a director who wants to make an artistic statement without knowing what the statement is. Much like dunking a crucifix in urine.

3) The casting is massively f'ed up --- why not cast actual Israelis instead of Eric Bana and Geoffrey Rush? Wouldn't you want the film to actually be believable? To that end - why not speak Hebrew?

4) The cheeseball ending with the WTC. Give us a break - how corny sentimental can you be? We get it, Steve - now please take the spoon out of my throat!!

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» RE: Unimpressed Posted by: Roverton
» RE: Unimpressed Posted by: longcipher
» RE: Unimpressed Posted by: C. R.
» RE: Unimpressed Posted by: Duse42
» RE: Unimpressed Posted by: C. R.
Spielberg has completed the dialectic.
Posted by: maoriii on Jan 7, 2006 6:09 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
With both sides wrong it becomes impossible to ignore the turmoil and killing that goes on day after day. Seeing Munich both sides have an opportunity to confront the issue in all of its truth and reality. Anyone who ignores this movie is condemned to its solemn prophecy, SON - "Do you want to know what I did?" Mother "NO". We must not be condemned to live out the remainder of our lives on this planet blinded by ignoring issues that we wish not to confront. We must face the truth and reality that Spielberg has provided in his movie and come to terms with all of the blood that has been shed over the years. Munich is a noble attempt to open both sides eyes to their own denials of humanity and their own moral distance.

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Now it's ideological movie reviews
Posted by: independent1 on Jan 7, 2006 6:07 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Ah, doesn't anyone see that points are being missed here?

1. Spielberg is a movie maker - he well knows how to stack the deck to make any point he wishes. Want a cuddly ET alien? Steve will give it to you. Want Superior Beings come to save us from ourselves? Steve will give them to us. S.S. has shown his own biases over and over again - and it's often done entertainingly. BUT - what has that got to do with hard reality, where there are NO amiable aliens and certainly no HUMAN Palestinians.

2. The film "forgets History" and so does this reviewer (aka, ideological commentator). What happened during the Olympic Games in Munich was an intentional mass murder played out on the world stage before our helpless eyes. The German police did exactly what they had to do with those criminal terrorists - they killed some and let the rest of them self-destruct in the process.

The Palestinians wanted to show the world just how terrible they were - it was an act intended to put the rest of us on notice. If we had rational populations in Europe, the U.S. and Israel: our rational leaders would have joined in a campaign to eradicate the threat from first the Palesinians and then the rest of the Arab Moslem barbarian world.

3. Those on the Left still do not understand the utter stupidity of their campaign to FORCE us into being simply mourning victims who endlessly forgive the most savage acts against our countrymen and our nations?

4. Everyone has forgotten that the Palestinians have had options besides squatting in Israel and murdering innocent people. They've chosen the squat and murder option over and over and rejected peaceable solutions as many times.
This is the true character of "Palestinians" which should be a hint as to what must ultimately be done with them.

Finally - ideologies both Right and Left are absurd and useless. (As Spielberg's latest output proves for the Left.) You True Believers spend endless time, money and energy fighting each other IN PREFERENCE to working on rational, logical (but difficult) solutions to our problems. True Believers are a disgrace to our civilization.

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» From a third party Posted by: xyz2002
Palestinians will never win
Posted by: lamar on Jan 10, 2006 2:16 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
While Israel should be faulted for its heavy handed tactics against the Palestinians, we should all face it: the Palestinians are the architects of their own failure. They have rejected deal after deal, all in the name of some unattainable ideal. As a people, they have chosen violence and murder.

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Huh?
Posted by: rdpaul on Jan 11, 2006 3:28 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"And by engaging Black September and other terrorist groups on their own violent terms, Israel betrayed its declared values as a Western-style democracy that eschewed the death penalty in 1954 for ordinary crimes (and only exercised the death penalty once, for Adolf Eichmann's "extraordinary" crimes, in 1962)."

I don't get it. Where is the sanctified "Western-style democracy," where is the so-called "civilized" behavior in Israel's declared policy of targeted assassination? I realize that this article is arguing against violence, but unlike its author, I fail to see the saintly nature in Israel's history, pre-Munich or pre-1954. I see a country based on lies and violence where religion has always been used to confuse and brow-beat Jews and the rest of us into supporting a Zionist "reality on the ground." Arab idiocy and ignorance aside, Israel's image problem wasn't born in Munich. It stems from the dishonest nature of the Israeli terrorists who started the whole political Zionist state in the first place, and in the Western victors of WWII who envisioned their own political and economic goals in enabling these Zionists.

Not pretty and nothing to brag about.

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good but falls short
Posted by: rbz on Jan 25, 2006 7:12 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Perhaps naively, I went into “Munich” with excited anticipation. I knew that the film would not be radically pro-Palestinian, nonetheless, I thought that the film would be significantly critical given the noise of its right wing Zionist opponents, and even while watching it, I was almost convinced that it was. However, I left feeling ambivalent.

I do not agree that the Arabs in the film were "humanized." Portrayed in a more positive light than usual, yes, I would grant that, but considering that they are portrayed almost always as near-animals in popular film, it does not take much to constitute an improvement. As far as I can remember, the only way in which viewers who are not already fluent in Palestinian grievances against Israel were presented with a Palestinian perspective was through the brief conversation between Avner and Ali, in which Ali confirmed that he did indeed care that much about his grandfather's olive trees. At the same time, we are presented with the same noble picture of Israelis as we always are in most Israeli and American films, "sabras" with prickly exterior but tender interior, hyper-macho but/and lovable. They are humanized through their debates with each other, through their self-doubt, their internal ethical dilemmas. And the Arabs are presented as....well, maybe not as barbaric as usual, but still flat and, at best, drones swept away by nationalist rhetoric.

I still found the film interesting, and if anything, useful politically as an entry-point into the issue through a popular culture reference point. However, in terms of addressing the imbalance in representations of Israelis and Palestinians, I think that “Munich” fails. Perhaps a film that approaches the topic indirectly could be more effective; one which successfully de-constructs Israeli militarism/masculinity, or one which presents Palestinians as most are, that is, not hopping around European capitals killing people and making deals, but living under occupation, not as passive victims, nor as raging aggressors, but as people complete with complexities and paradoxes that others are afforded in film appearances. In the meantime, while a film like "Munich" could ideally widen the discourse on the issue, I think that in reality it domesticates the Palestinian cause in a way that liberal Americans (and Israelis) can handle, but does not urge them to significantly shake their paradigms.

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