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Munich (2005)
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Violence begets violence in Steven Spielberg's bold and brooding thriller, beginning with the tragedy of the 1972 Munich Olympics when Israeli athletes were taken hostage by Black September terrorists and, after a botched rescue mission, 11 of them were left dead. Spielberg pulls no punches here, but rather than sensationalise the atrocity, he provides a complex moral framework for the Israeli intelligence mission to assassinate the Palestinian ringleaders. Initially, the action seems predictable as the quietly intense Eric Bana and his four-man hit squad eliminate their targets one-by-one. But when doubts eventually creep in, so does a palpable sense of urgency. It's a mood heightened by stark visuals, a restless camera and excellent support from Ciaran Hinds and Daniel Craig, who effectively play both sides of Avner's troubled conscience. After crowd-pleasing fare like War of the Worlds and The Terminal, Spielberg should be applauded for bravely resisting a pat conclusion with a film that keenly resonates with post-9/11 anxieties. SP
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| Contains swearing, violence. |
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Tell us what you think
Email us at rtfilmcomments@bbc.co.uk to tell us what you think of this film. Your comments may appear in Radio Times magazine.
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Running time
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156min
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Country of origin
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US
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Genre
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Drama based on a true story
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Original language
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English / German / Italian / French / Arabic / Hebrew
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Screenplay
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Tony Kushner, Eric Roth, from the non-fiction book Vengeance by George Jonas
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Theatrical distributor
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UIP
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UK cinema certificate
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15
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UK cinema release date
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January 2006
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| awards information |
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Award |
Category |
Name |
Nominee/Winner |
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| Academy 2005 |
Best Picture |
Kathleen Kennedy |
Nominee |
| Academy 2005 |
Best Picture |
Barry Mendel |
Nominee |
| Academy 2005 |
Best Picture |
Steven Spielberg |
Nominee |
| Academy 2005 |
Directing |
Steven Spielberg |
Nominee |
| Academy 2005 |
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published) |
Tony Kushner |
Nominee |
| Academy 2005 |
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published) |
Eric Roth |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2005 |
Best Director Motion Picture |
Steven Spielberg |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2005 |
Best Screenplay Motion Picture |
Tony Kushner |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2005 |
Best Screenplay Motion Picture |
Eric Roth |
Nominee |
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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