MUNICH [2005] review

Steven Spielberg’s MUNICH is about violence, specifically if violence can be justified and when should it be used. Moreover, the biggest question raised by the main character, Avner (Eric Bana), is, once started, how do you stop violence? Throughout the movie Avner questions what he has been tasked to do. … Will not the violence he is meting out only be met by more violence by those on the receiving end this time? To anyone who has studied non-violence, the answer will be obvious–peaceful ends cannot be achieved by violent means. Yet how can you ask someone who has been victimized by violence not to answer with it? Gandhi said of the well-know Bible verse, “an eye-for-an-eye makes the whole world blind.” If no one looks at the opposing side, it certainly does seem that by one way or another everyone will end up blind.

After watching Malick’s NEW WORLD just 2 nights before, all Spielberg’s camera tricks pop-out in MUNICH, but these are mostly effective at putting us very closely into the action. I especially noticed this very early on when the camera flashes between a line of reporters and their unseen cameramen. There’s a lot of dialogue, but it’s all pretty much good and on topic and necessary without being overly-exposition like. Erica Bana plays Avner perfectly throughout the movie, save for one scene I would have put on the cutting room floor near the end. He follow his path from being a no questions asked soldier, to doubtful executioner, to finally doubting if anything can make a difference. ROME fans will be pleased to see probably for the first time Ciaran Hinds in a non-Caesar role.

For me, MUNICH reinforced something I had already contemplated, that someone is going to have to be willing to make a sacrifice. To let a wrong done unto them go without seeking vengeance. Until people can do that, thus allowing a country to take that mindset, as Spielberg masterfully illustrated, violence will continue to beget violence.

THE NEW WORLD [2005] review

I always begin talking about Terrence Malick by saying his films are poetry. You never want to miss the opening shot of one of his films because it always sets the tone and the theme for the rest of the movie. Really though, the theme is pretty much the same: Nature and how humans either struggle against it or harmonize with it. Only his fourth film since 1973, THE NEW WORLD continues Malick’s exploration of said theme in its most subtely striking way. However, I thought things were a little too vague and abstract. Being largely ignant of history, I was taken by surprise by the turn of events in the story. Malick jumped through a lot of these turns rather quickly, so from a plot point I never really understood why the hell Capt. Smith didn’t take Pocahontos with him on his exploraton of the NE coast.

But really I think this movie is watching the joy with which Q’Orianka Kilcher portrays Pocahontos. The camera always catches her curious and sparkling eyes as they in turn look from Capt. Smith to the tall grass she is forever walking in. Colin Farrel plays Capt. Smith with restraint and non-lecherousness.

THE THIN RED LINE devastated me back in 1998. THE NEW WORLD only mildly made me feel the loss of the Natural world.

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