Munich

It's a few weeks since I saw the film, but think it's still worth saying a bit about it here.

The basic plot goes something like this...

In the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics, Israel puts together a team of assassins to kill the people responsible, led by a soldier called Avner (Eric Bana).

As his mission progresses, he realises more and more that what he is doing only serves to escalate the violence. As his doubts about the legitimacy of the targets and the wisdom of that course of action as well as the danger to his team, himself and his family grow, he is forced to consider how to continue and as a result his loyalty to Israel is called into question.

In my opinion, a very good film about the dangers and problems inherent in the Israeli/Palenstinian situation and how violence rarely improves things. It says a lot about the state of things in the US that it's thought of as a liberal film there...

Again, a few questions to think about:

• What would you have done in Avner's situation?
• How does Spielberg's interpretation of events fit with verses such as Proverbs 15:1, 25:21 and Matthew 5:39?
• Could there be Christian grounds for retaliation?
• Why did Avner's handler act the way he did in the final scene? Was he right to do so? What does this have to teach us about relating to others?