| . |
. |
| Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz,
Hanns Zischler, Geoffrey Rush Directed
by: Steven Spielberg |
Theatrical Release: 2005
DVD Release: 2006
Released by: Universal Dolby
Digital 5.1
Widescreen |
| Before Munich  I was born in 1974, which makes me
too young to have witnessed the actual Olympic Games of Munich. So when the DVD editor,
Rad Bennett, assigned the review of Munich, he also suggested two other films that
were centered on the same event, the 1999 Oscar-winning One Day in September
(***1/2) and the 1976 TV drama, 21 Hours at Munich (***), which starred
William Holden. From these films I hoped to gain a better understanding of the
events that day as well as the mindset of the people involved. 21 Hours at Munich
is a perfect companion piece to Munich, since it deals only with the actual events
that day and not the politics before or after. Munich deals mainly with the events
afterward.
21 Hours at Munich is a dramatization of that
horrible day in the Olympic Village. This film is a detailed account of the
behind-the-scenes interactions between the German authorities and the terrorist
kidnappers. The initial moments of the abduction and the final acts of murder are eerily
similar to the scenes in Munich, though the Spielberg version seems more intense
and authentic.
 One Day in September
uses actual news footage of the event as it unfolded on live television. While it does
mention the existence of the death squads, it goes into little detail. The interviews with
the actual people involved combined with the ABC news footage exposed some flaws in 21
Hours at Munich as a depiction of actual events. The documentary places more blame on
the German handling of the events, whereas the dramatization takes liberties to entertain
rather than educate.
Both movies helped me better understand the tragic event.
While neither DVD went into detail concerning the resultant hit squads, Spielberg takes
care of that, and both of these earlier films provide a time-line and an authentic sense
of the era or of the actual event that triggered such ruthless revenge. You might think of
these two movies as the extras not included on the Munich DVD.
...Randall Smith
randalls@hometheatersound.com |
|
|
The 21-hour standoff was one of the first tragedies to
unfold on live TV. Millions of people around the world quickly chose sides and held their
breaths until the fatal end. Steven Spielberg directs the story of the Israeli hit squads
dispatched to kill the people responsible for the massacre. He follows the hit squads as
they carry out their mission of revenge, who battle not only for their lives but also for
their own peace of mind. Eric Bana’s character, Avner, provides a canvas on which
Spielberg paints a wide range of emotions. He is a man who begins as a predator and ends
up being the prey, and the arc of the film leaves the viewer with no sense of conclusion.
The clash over the land controlled by the Jews has created a deep hatred that only the
Jews and Arabs can understand and is an issue that is just as alive and polarizing today
as it was in 1972. The film walks a tight line, careful not to take sides, staying
painfully accurate and true to the actual events.
I love the different visual styles Spielberg employs in his
films. Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, and Minority Report
all have distinct styles yet they all share two characteristics: great lighting and
incredible sets. Improper lighting can distort and hide an illustrative characteristic of
an actor’s face or part of a scene. In Munich, we do not miss a single detail.
A Spielberg film also has the budget for elaborate sets. The surroundings become a
character within the film. All of these values combined with great acting allow Janusz
Kaminzki, the cinematographer, the tools needed to deliver a beautiful movie.
Another technical quality of a Spielberg film is great
audio. Deep bass and great use of the surrounding soundstage is a trademark of his films,
including Munich. In particular, the explosions in the fatal attacks of the hit
squad are dynamic and powerful, different from a standard action-movie explosion, leading
me to believe that the audio effects crew actually researched the sound of the explosive
detonated in the 1972 attacks. The gunfire follows suit, unique to the weapons used.
The sound appears to be as important to the story as the
video, and that isn’t always the case with DVD. The dialogue transfer is superb and
is heard throughout the front soundstage. Little sound details originating off screen may
pan from the center-channel to one of the front speakers. I simply loved this. While it
did draw my attention away from the screen, I appreciated the meticulousness of the
effect. Home theaters with large projection screens will especially appreciate this
quality.
There are no extras on the single-disc widescreen version
of the DVD, but a special-edition two-disc set is available. There is a quick, informative
introduction to the film by the director where we learn his painstaking efforts to deliver
a story that is accurate to the actual events yet that strives not to pick a side. I left
this experience feeling sorry for all involved. |
