An Olympic thriller

by BAZ BAMIGBOYE, Daily Mail

Last updated at 09:41 09 December 2005


There has been a lot written over here about Steven Spielberg's new movie, Munich - much of it about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and where, exactly, this film stands on the issue.

Munich deals with the aftermath of the Black September terrorist group's attack on the Israeli compound at the 1972 Olympics, during which hostages were taken, and then slaughtered.

Spielberg's film suggests that agents working for Israeli intelligence went after the Black September operatives and assassinated them. Anyway, I saw Munich at an early screening in New York.

I think it works magnificently - and you don't need a degree in Middle East affairs to follow it. Spielberg's recent films had left me wondering whether the director was still interested in making movies that matter.

But watching Munich, you know a master is at work. What struck me most is his restraint: Munich is the least showy movie he has made.

His actors - led by Eric Bana, Ciaran Hinds, Daniel Craig, Mathieu Kassovitz and Hanns Zischler as the agents, and Geoffrey Rush as the top spy who runs the op - are understated and sublime.

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