Spielberg risking Israeli anger over Munich tragedy

Telegraph ^ | 09/07/05 | Hugh Davies

[Pikamax]

Spielberg risking Israeli anger over Munich tragedy By Hugh Davies (Filed: 09/07/2005)

A drama about the 1972 Munich Olympics where Black September Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes is being filmed by Steven Spielberg, who is courting controversy by concentrating on the bloody aftermath as the murders were avenged.

The material is so delicate that the project, which is being filmed in Malta, is shrouded in secrecy.

For while movies like 1977's Raid on Entebbe, starring Peter Finch and Horst Buchholz, portray Israel in a heroic stance, the new picture is about the misgivings of Golda Meir, the then Israeli prime minister, as agents from Mossad tracked down the perpetrators.

The film, with Eric Bana as the lead Israeli assassin, is expected to feature the killing of the Palestinian Mohammad Hamshiri, who answered his phone in Paris to fall victim to a radio-detonated bomb under his desk, and the death of Mohammad Boudia, the director of operations for Black September, in a car bomb explosion.

The climax will show how the Israeli operatives, tired after months of undercover work, killed Ahmed Bouchike, a Moroccan waiter they mistook for a Palestinian leader. Israel has never claimed responsibility for the team, which included Ehud Barak, the future prime minister, who dressed as a woman to surprise three PLO leaders in Beirut.

There is concern in Jerusalem that such a notable Jew as Spielberg has apparently avoided using the government's archives for his research, although Dennis Ross, formerly Bill Clinton's key Middle East diplomat, consulted by the director, has alerted the Israelis to the script.

Daniel Craig, one of the British stars of the film, said that the screenplay is a less-than-flattering portrayal of Israeli tactics. "It's about how vengeance doesn't work - blood breeds blood."

Craig said that Spielberg, creator of the Shoah Holocaust Foundation, was "incredibly aware" of his background "and that's why he wants to get it right".

However, the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, which manages Mossad and its archives, has reportedly received no request for assistance. In addition, five retired Mossad agents, all of whom served in key intelligence posts at the time, have not been contacted.

[Houmatt]

So let's see if I have this straight: Spielberg is doing this film without a single word to the Israelis? Is that what's going on here?

I think Stevie boy's got some splainin' to do.

[RightWingAtheist]

He's also hired the ridiculously overrated, far-left playwright Tony Kushner to do the script. Not a good sign at all.

[QQQQ]

Stevie, this is NOT Indiana Jones!

[RedRover]

The most disturbing thing to me is that the screenplay is by radical Lefty Tony Kushner--supporter of "Not in Our Name" and author of grotesque parodies of our war in Iraq. Kushner does not believe that force is justified in fighting terror, His writing is ideologically based. So I guess we can fairly predict where the sympathies of this movie will lie. And to make a movie like this, in the middle of our War on Terror, suggests that Spielberg is moving into Michael Moore territory. I find this very disheartening.

[wideawake]

The only hope is that Kushner, champion of the PLO and author of Angels in America, will portray the Munich terrorists as a sensitive band of homosexuals who are in love with one another and who are all sexually involved with Arafat.

[billnaz]

It was a given that Spielberg would surround himself with his fellow card-carrying lefties for this project. No surprise here.

[bigsigh]

............. who is courting controversy by concentrating on the bloody aftermath as the murders were avenged.

At least there's ahappy ending.

[dfwgator]

Arafat only liked white boys.

[Owl_Eagle]

The film, with Eric Bana as the lead Israeli assassin, is expected to feature the killing of the Palestinian Mohammad Hamshiri, who answered his phone in Paris to fall victim to a radio-detonated bomb under his desk, and the death of Mohammad Boudia, the director of operations for Black September, in a car bomb explosion.

 

Shame, because the topic sounds like it has the potential to be hilarious, Ehud Barak jumping out of a bhurka to blast three pali apes and what not.  But with a morally confused idiot, self-hating Jew like Speilberg calling the shots, I'm sure it will be another hollywood bomb.

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[Houmatt]

Tony Kushner? Seriously?

Oh, man....

[brivette]

Works for me!

[Cyclopean Squid]

At least there's ahappy ending.

Given that it's Spielberg, it may be a happy ending. The terrorists will release the Israeli athletes, no harm done. Israel will realize all the error of its ways and give Jerusalem back to the Palestinians. The Palestinians will embrace their Jewish neighbors and shrug, saying "Sorry for that whole Intifada thing." Then all the victims of of pizzeria and mall bombings will come out from a seemingly deserted building, miraculously unhurt. It turns out that no one actually died, they just got separated!

Spielberg is overrated. He hasn't done anything of note in quite some time--he's resting on his laurels. His recent movies sacrifice emotional power for a cheesy endings that leave one embarrassed. He takes away all the meaning of what happened before in order to give the Eplison-Minuses in the audience their demanded "it all works out in the end" movie experience.

[Michael.SF.]

The film, is expected to feature the killing of the Palestinian Mohammad Hamshiri, who answered his phone in Paris to fall victim to a radio-detonated bomb.

So was this an innocent man or did they just save the cost of a trial?

I assume it is the latter and if that is the case, well, violence begets violence. Best way to deal with a bastard is to destroy him.

[bubman]

The best thing we all can do is avoid the movie altogether. If Speilberg does to the Massacre in Munich as what Riddly Scott did with the Crusades, then I will keep my money in my pocket or buy the definitive story on the event. Incidentally which book would you fellow freepers recommend regarding the massacre in 72?

thxs

[EagleUSA]

Lest we not forget the far-left liberals of Hollywood are always re-writing history to suit their protected, utopian existence. Amazing what money has done to their brains...along with the cocaine and booze...

[freeangel]

Sounds like we should all attend and applaud each time a follower of allah is slain.

[dfwgator]

I would have expected this from Oliver Stone, not Spielberg.

[RedRover]

Staying away from movie theaters altogether works for me!

[elbucko]

Spielberg is overrated.

Now that's an understatement!

[RedRover]

And another thing.
Why are reports such as this always framed as angering Israelis or Jews? I'm neither and I'm angry. You don't have to be Israeli to believe in a nation's right to protect itself and combat terrorism.

[KosmicKitty]

Well, I have had NO respect for Speilberg since he denounced the Bay Scouts for not wanting pedophiles in their leadership

About 10 years ago, my oldest boys' scout troop had four kids getting their Eagle. One of the leaders wrote to a whole list of famous people who were former Eagle scouts and asked them if they could write a letter to the new Eagle scouts about how acheiving this honor had effect the famous person's life.

Speilberg wrote a wonderful letter where he said that making Eagle was a higher point in his life than getting an oscar. But only a year or two later he condemns the scouts!!

What I hate more than a liar is a hypocrite!!

[Oztrich Boy]

The only hope is that Kushner, champion of the PLO and author of Angels in America, will portray the Munich terrorists as a sensitive band of homosexuals who are in love with one another and who are all sexually involved with Arafat.

No there is another

[God luvs America]

A drama about the 1972 Munich Olympics where Black September Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes is being filmed by Steven Spielberg, who is courting controversy by concentrating on the bloody aftermath as the murders were avenged.

Read the book...you will cheer when you find out what the Israeli's did to these dirtbags and how they struck fear into the lives of the terrorists who were responsible for the '72 massacre....maybe the movie will give encourage our leaders to forget about "winning hearts and minds" and just obliterate the enemy.

[zook]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And everyone said War of the Worlds was going to be anti-American. I take all this stuff with many grains of salt. I'll bet when the film comes out it will be pro-Israeli and anti-terrorist.

[Joey Silvera]

There's a great one called "Vengeance", I believe, although it's about the aftermath if I remember correctly. Read it about 20 years ago.

[D-fendr]

Sounds like Spielberg is trying to secure his bona fides with anti-Israel Hollywood.

He only does movies sympathetic to jews prior to 1946.

[wideawake]

Dude, that's Lucas not Spielberg.

[CaptainK]

Angles in America had one of the lowest ratings of any HBO film. It's a guarantee that this movie will bomb financially in the US. Overseas may be a different story.

[Yehuda]

He only likes stories of Jewish sheeple.

[Borges]

I thouroughly disagree. The endings of A.I., Minority Report and 'Catch Me if you Can' were emotionally ambiguous to say the last.