Munich (2005) | The Price of Violence

This week on Forgotten Cinema, we revisit one of Steven Spielberg’s most overlooked films, the 2005 historical thriller Munich—and let’s just say, this one lingers long after the credits roll.

Starring Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, and an incredible supporting cast, Munich dramatizes Israel’s secret response to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. But this isn’t just a revenge thriller — it’s a tense, morally complex exploration of justice, vengeance, and the corrosive cost of violence. Spielberg doesn’t flinch away from the weight of his subject matter, and the result is one of his most thought-provoking works.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Spielberg’s masterful direction – A filmmaker at the top of his craft, balancing gripping suspense with quiet, devastating moments of humanity.

• Janusz Kamiński’s cinematography – Evocative, immersive visuals that pull you into the paranoia and fear surrounding the mission.

• The film’s moral core – How Munich examines the endless cycle of retaliation and whether justice can ever truly be achieved through bloodshed.

• The cast’s powerhouse performances – Eric Bana as a man torn between duty and conscience, and Daniel Craig in an early role that hinted at his future Bond persona.

  
  

We both came away with the same conclusion: Munich deserves far more recognition than it gets. Thoughtful, haunting, and expertly crafted, it’s a film that challenges audiences to grapple with impossible questions — and that’s exactly what great cinema should do.

If you haven’t seen Munich in years — or if you’ve somehow missed it altogether — now’s the perfect time to revisit it.

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