Don't Make Him Angry, You Wouldn't Like Him When He's Angry

When a nation needs to exert itself in the face of international terrorism, who does it turn to? Why, who else but The Hulk? Eric Bana stars in "Munich", Steven Spielberg's most mature film-to-date, a story loosely based on history about Israel's response to the killing of 11 Israeli athletes by Palestinians during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Bana plays a former bodyguard of Prime Minister Golda Meir and the son of a national hero, who is asked to lead a team in hunting down and killing 11 Palestinians allegedly involved in the planning of the Munich event. What sometimes seems like a snuff film ultimately tries to ask the question of when is retaliation acceptable? Is it ever? Does it reconcile the actions that it sought to avenge in the first place? Moral ambiguity is at the core of Bana's internal conflict, as he delves deeper and deeper into this revenge scheme. Is this plan about honoring the fallen athletes? About Israel saving face in the international community? Just a facade for further Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed? The questions are posed, and Spielberg leaves it up to the audience to draw their own conclusions. Stylistically Spielbergian, the film tries valiantly but comes up short in addressing the current state of the world, where moral ambiguity abounds at every turn, and the government seems to have its own set of rules.



For a better example, go rent "Three Kings", the David O. Russell film starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube. Set in 1991 immediately at the close of the Persian Gulf War, the movie provides a humorous, stylish, and ultimately emotional look at the United States' involvement in the Middle East. Celebrating their liberation of Kuwait, US troops celebrate a moral imperative while mopping up the remaining duties of arresting Iraqi soldiers. However, Clooney, Wahlberg, and Cube, along with the dim-witted Spike Jonze and through the use of an Iraqi ass-map, plot to steal a bit of Kuwaiti gold, only to find themselves embroiled in a conflict not reported by Wolf Blitzer on CNN. Iraqi rebels, opposing the rule of Saddam Hussein, though verbally supported by President George H.W. Bush, find that those allegiances are hollow, indeed. Liberation, freedom, etc. are secondary to US interests in oil, and the rude awakening for such idealists as Wahlberg and Jonze creates a new sense of necessity that involves helping Iraqi rebels at the risk of court-martial or death. Watch this movie, whether it be for the first time or as a repeat viewing, and you'll see how eerie the connections are with today's news, what with the US's penchant for meddling without understanding the true ramifications of its actions within the global community. What can I say, like father like son.