Munich 01/09/06

This movie is three hours long. That's a long time. I wasn't expecting it to be that long. Once I felt the two hour mark go by I was always looking for the inevitable telling signs of the conclusion. I was looking for them for about an hour. There's a real problem here and it's all about pace. Spielberg is a genius in the commercial thriller sense. If there's an action sequence, this guy can do it. But almost noone can do it for three hours straight. A movie that moves this fast has only the energy for two hours max, Otherwise simpleminded viewers like me get tired of the constant action. Which I did. 
Another thing to point out for future reference. (Again all due respect to Spielberg, great filmmaker with good intentions). Thriller and 'prayer for peace' don't exactly mesh. He moved the camera too much. This three hour movie needed a slower pace to fulfill the time requirement. Less is more they say. Here it is.
If I must say another thing. I don't really know that much about the Munich 'incident' that this film is based on. After watching the movie, I still don't know any exacting details of what happened. It's shown in brief and only for the purpose of spurring the story of vengeance exacted by Israeli secret agents. I got the feeling that Spielberg already assumed I knew everything about it. Like what happened, when it happened, how it happened, and what exactly was Black September. I have a suggestion, maybe a little brash, but here it is: It may have been a better idea not to base this story on any real events. Maybe Spielberg should have just made the whole thing up. That way he could give his message, tell it the best way he can, and wouldn't have to deal with all the critics who say he didn't get it right. I mean all the characters technically don't exist anyway right. Right, exactly my point.
As I conclude I feel I must say something about the good parts. I liked the reality of it. The way that assasinations never seem to go completely right. That the assassins make mistakes. The fact that they have to rely on those who aren't trustworthy. That once a man starts killing, he becomes overwhelmed by the fear that those harmed will seek revenge. This movie shows those realities that most movies don't show. This may not be a perfect movie, but it is honorable. It's a prayer for peace.