This largely fictional account of the Palestinian terrorist assassinations of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics was directed by Steven Spielberg.
A thought-provoking surprise from famed director Steven Spielberg, MUNICH explores the aftereffects of the brutal terrorist attacks on the Israeli athletic team at that German city's 1972 Olympic games. Loosely adapted from the book VENGEANCE by Hungarian George Jonas, the script was largely written by the provocative, award-winning playwright Tony Kushner (ANGELS IN AMERICA), who lends an incisive intelligence to the dialogue. The film begins with the violent sequence of the terrorists carrying out their attacks on the Israelis; a bloody and gruesome sequence that is deftly and beautifully handled by Spielberg and his brilliant cinematographer, Januzs Kaminski. Back in Israel, we meet the handsome and charming Avner, deeply in love with his beautiful, pregnant wife. Domestic bliss is short-lived however; immediately following these "Black September" attacks, Avner (THE HULK's Eric Bana), the son of an Israeli hero, is summoned by his country's famed secret service agency, the Mossad, to carry out violent retaliations against those Palestinian terrorists allegedly behind the Munich massacre. Commanded from afar by prickly government agent Ephraim (the inimitable Geoffrey Rush), Avner and his team of handpicked men--pugnacious South African Steve (Daniel Craig), goofy ex-toy maker Robert (French actor Matthieu Kassovitz), morally conflicted Carl (Ciaran Hinds), and terse professional Hans (Hanns Zischler)--must deal with some shady, nefarious international figures as they track down their Palestinian prey. Their mission takes them everywhere, from the villas of Rome to a seedy hotel in Cyprus, and with each successful kill, Avner's iron will begins to dissolve, and guilt and doubt begin to take hold of his conscience. Strong performances (particularly by the magnetic Eric Bana), gripping action, moral complexity, and a political urgency make the film not only consistently entertaining, but enormously important. Kushner and Spielberg work together to make it clear that the past informs the present, and the lingering final shot should leave viewers with much to think about.
Theatrical Release: December 23, 2005
Munich Reviews:
4 stars out of 4 -- "Eric Bana's performance of understated anger and torment, as a Mossad agent leading a team of assassins in Europe, is worthy of a true movie star."
-- Howard Karren, Premiere
5 stars out of 5 -- "[A] tense, vigorous, thought-sparking thriller that applies the spare efficiency of great Hollywood storytelling to the prosaic, ethical examinings favoured by master political filmmakers like Costas-Gavras..."
-- Matt Mueller, Total Film
"[A] timely rumination on the moral implications of responding to terrorism with equally bloody vengeance."
-- Barry Walters, Rolling Stone
"[S]pectacularly gripping and unsettling...A grave and haunted film....A movie that has the vision to dramatize a startling reality..." -- Grade: A
-- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"This is a smart and often tense work....It's definitely powerful enough to make you wish he'd head in this direction more often."-- Mike Clark, USA Today
"MUNICH is no small thing. No film by Steven Spielberg ever is, but even for this avatar of Hollywood filmmaking this is something apart, the most questioning, provocative film he's ever made."-- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Included in Entertainment Weekly's Top Ten Films Of The Year -- "Steven Spielberg's brilliant political thriller is a work of spectacular and unsettling excitement..."
-- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"[Spielberg] has completed the process begun with simpler SCHINDLER'S LIST to become a truly adult director, with this, his bravest film."
-- Nick Hasted, Uncut
"[T]here's something deeper at play here....[A] brave and timely new film....MUNICH works as a secret-agent thriller in the mould of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, THE BOURNE IDENTITY and, in particular...THE DAY OF THE JACKAL..."
-- John Wrathall, Sight and Sound
Strong Graphic Violence, Some Sexual Content, Nudity and Language
Running Time
164 Minutes
Additional Info
Widescreen; Dubbed; Subtitled
Movie Details
Color; Widescreen; Dubbed; Subtitled
Munich Movie Review
Customer Munich Reviews Customer Munich DVD Reviews
Average Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)
Outstanding film This was a tough movie to watch because it makes you think critically about the way states respond to terrorism. This movie in the end doesn't come out telling you what to believe, but rather takes a long hard look at the price of security. Definitely a film worth owning, great music and characters. Submitted by Isabel (Portland, OR, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Overrated The only reason this movie had so much hype built up around it was because it was made by Steven Spielberg.The film grabs your attention from the start,but it loses you the longer it goes on.First off,it's as if Spielberg believes that you already know what's going on and he makes no effort to inform a viewer who is new to the Munich incident about the real event.Also,when the actors are talking in foreign language there are no subtitles most of the time so you can't tell what they're saying.Eric Bana gives a very impressive performance and he deserves alot of credit.The rest of the cast is okay,but Bana is the standout.Overall,this movie has it's moments,but I expected more from a Spielberg movie. Submitted by Blake (Brandon,MS) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Not bad...3-3.5 stars Right from the start, I got the impression that there was a deliberate attempt to avoid the hyped action and pyrotechnics of today’s action films and instead, substitute something which felt more realistic. In fact, to me, Munich feels more like something I would watch on the History Channel, rather than in a theater. Everything about this film seems low-key. The assassinations and bombings, while technically more accurate, feel anemic and lackluster by today’s standards. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it is different than what I expected. Also, the pace of the movie feels lethargic. The characters are more three-dimensional, but they are also more subdued. This is definitely more of a drama, focusing on characters, their personalities, emotional struggles, etc. than it is an action film. Submitted by brianp (Fremont, CA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
MUNICH!!! I think this has been the best movie in a while, i think the true story of munich was revealed in this movie! Submitted by tom (Ontario,Canada) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
BRAVE!! A "BRAVE MOVIE" THAT SHOWS THE GREAT HEART A FILMMAKER CAN HAVE DESPITE THE TENSE ATMOSPHERE WE SEE IN HIS FILM.
THE BEST FILM OF THE YEAR. Submitted by FRANCISCO J GONZALEZ (DECATUR,AL USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Have you seen this movie?
Munich DVD
Munich DVD Features
Region 1 Snap Case Single Side - Dual Layer Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35 Full Frame - 1.33 Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 - English (DVS) Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, French Subtitles - English - SDH Subtitles - French, Spanish - Optional Additional Release Material: Introduction: Steven Spielberg - Director
Share this Product