The Morality of Spielberg's MUNICH

Saw this a week ago and wanted to start a discussion about its moral vision.

It advances typical leftist 'eye for an eye' bromides, putting the Palestinians and Israeli's on equivalent moral planes - the terrorists and their avengers are basically one and the same, committing the same acts but motivated by different things.

I read Aaron J. Klein's book Striking Back after seeing this and it offered a much different portrait of the Israeli Mossad team, showing them to be morally steadfast and dogged in their determination to hunt down the terrorists behind Munich.

Spielberg offers a starkly different picture, painting the men as morally anguished discontents, wrestling with their mission and its ultimate aims.

If there's a film out there right now that needs moral clarity, it's this one. What say you Oists?

Post 1

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 11:39am

Hi Justin,
I've seen the movie and I am quite agree with you. I think the movie tries to be somewhat politically correct and put typical American's mind setting into those Israeli solders'. To have those elite Israeli assassins display that kind of moral ambiguity and lack of resolve is utterly insulting. Those Israelis did not need the flash backs of Munich 72 to harden their heart. Those were the survivors who had mothers, fathers, brothers or sisters killed in front of their eyes; and who had fought against the whole world when there was absolutely no chance for their coming out alive...

Steve Spielberg never struck me as particularly deep. He is clearly out of his depth with this subject. But he is as always a superb movie maker. Good handling of those gory killing scenes, each is different...

(Edited by Hong Zhang on 1/10, 11:40am)

Post 2

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 2:27pm

Hong as movie critic: Two thumbs up!

Post 3

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 3:43pm

Geez, Michael, you made me blush....for you! ;-^
BTW, have you seen the movie?

Post 4

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 3:53pm

Hong,

Will you blush for yourself if I offer a third "thumbs up"?

No I am not going to see the movie, it sounds horrible.

hahahah,

Michael

Post 5

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 7:43pm

Nay, I did or said nothing to be blush about. I haven't even started gushing eye candies yet! ;-)

Actually, the movie is not as bad as Justin made out. I don't think the movie put the Palestinians and Israeli's on equivalent moral planes at all. That would be unfair to Spielberg. Yes, through one of the Palestinian characters, we heard their voice of their cause. I have no problem with that.

It is the depiction of the Mossad team members "as morally anguished discontents, wrestling with their mission and its ultimate aims" (quote Justin), that I have a big problem with.

Post 6

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 7:49pm

I saw a movie made about this same thing a while back, but I don't remember the name of it.

Do remember that it was about them tracking down the murderers and doing likewise unto them.

Post 7

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 7:57pm

From IMDB, the other movie is called Sword of Gideon (1986), based on the same book (Vengence by George Jonas) as Munich.

Post 8

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 5:20am