Why I didn't like the new Spielberg film

Shmuel Rosner. Why I didn't like the new Spielberg film http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerBlog.jhtml?itemNo=653593&contrassID=25&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=1&listSrc=Y&art=2

At the core of the dilemma presented by the new Steven Spielberg film, called Munich, is the question of whether the practice of targeted assassinations is one worth pursuing. However, there is a bigger dilemma. The director hasn't made up his mind if he is against the method for practical reasons or for moral reasons.

Israelis don't speak to one another the way Spielberg thinks they do (they also don't speak English to one another, but what can you do), nor do they behave the way in which he portrays them as behaving. And most of them don't have significant doubts regarding the Israeli government's decision to hunt and assassinate the perpetrators of the massacre at the Munich Olympics.

The film tells the well-known story of the Israeli government's revenge for the killing of 11 athletes by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The Israeli Mossad carried out most of the dirty work, although Israel has never formally acknowledged responsibility for the shootings, explosive booby-traps and raids that killed some 10 Palestinians linked to the Black September terrorist group behind the Olympics slayings.

The movie was "inspired" by the story, as the producers tell us at its onset, but does not stick to it faithfully. The book upon which it was based, Revenge, is highly controversial, and one can't expect the film to draw the correct conclusions when the historical line from which it is drawn is flawed.

The political message is also problematic. Spielberg himself had hinted that the portrayal of events would not be a flattering one to Israel, its aim being to raise questions about the practice of targeted assassinations - both by Israel in its war against its Arab enemies, and by the U.S. fighting its "war on terrorism."

and they are quite different from american jews. i parted ways with one guy when he couldn't understand why i didn't give money to my mother. i explained that she worked -- i didn't live with her and she made as much money as i did. he sent most of his money home to israel.

The question arises: are progressive American Jews even really the same people as Right-wing Israelis? Yes, we share a religion, but are we really One People?

Most of the Jews I know are very progressive, and have virtually nothing in common with Sharon aside from their religious beliefs. We should not pretend that Jews are all united ideologically, just as we should not pretend all Christians are united ideologically. Too often the right-wing gets to speak for religious communities, and we can not allow that to happen as there are many progressive people of faith who's voices need to be heard.

that i really liked dating israeli men. they were like a breath of fresh air at the time. i also loved my american jewish boyfriends. yes i had a lot of boyfriends. i broke up with my first husband early 67 and met my second one late 1970. gave me time to "sow my wild oats".

There has yet to be, at least to my knowledge, a good film on the Israel Palestine conflict but I think this one looks promising. I think we can expect it to be very controversial given the subject matter, and whenever a film like this comes out there will be many who criticize the factual basis of the film no matter how accurate it is. Just look at how Michael Moore's films have been picked apart. I just hope Spielberg did a good job fact checking because I really have high hopes for this film.

to come up with that title? Sheer genius. :silly:

First, it associates with the Munich treaty, next, with the beautiful city. Only ideologues on deep side can remember it as a place of that terrorist act.

Imagine a movie about 9-11 called simply "NYC"!