Munich

Steven Spielberg routinely turns out masterpieces and this is no exception. It has been a long time since I have been held as spellbound by a movie as I was by Munich. On one level, it is an exceptionally well made and unflinchingly realistic thriller and on another, a dramatic piece that raises disturbing and crucial moral questions. This is no slick band of assassins, but a group of ordinary men brought together to tackle the very messy business of killing people. They make mistakes and suffer crises of conscience. The bomb maker is particularly inept and responsible for some of the most suspenseful passages of the movie. Only Steve, the chilling South African, played very convincingly by Daniel Craig, seems to take pleasure in his work. I’m looking forward to the new Bond now that I have seen Daniel Craig in action here. Steve’s involvement in the group raises interesting questions around the level of cooperation between Israel and the Apartheid regime at the time. In fact the film touches on a range of fascinating themes enough for probably another dozen movies. The most intriguing is the mysterious French family that helps to find the location of the team’s victims, headed by “Papa” a former resistance fighter, played with wonderful gravitas by Michael Lonsdale. Eric Bana and Geoffrey Rush are terrific. What excellent actors Australia produces!