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January 10, 2006
MUNICH, BY SEQUENCE
Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 | Munich In Sequence
ACT TWO40:21 - Meeting The Primary Information Source
"Identity… that's the boring part now."
"We are ideologically promiscuous. We love everybody, hate everybody… I get my feelings confused."
42:16 - Setting Up The Next Hit
The Lufthansa hijacking that led to the release of the three Munich terrorists that survived occurs.
"No qualms about rejoicing on their side, eh?"
"Look at them. They're movie stars."
The freed Palestinian says, "We have made our voice heard by the world who has not been hearing before."
44:04 - Meeting The Target
Mahmoud Hamshari makes his case for the oppression of the Palestinians to Robert, pretending to be a journalist. We also meet his wife. And when Robert is setting up a bomb on the phone, the young daughter walks in.
46:18 - Hit #2
The phone bomb. Pretty standard spy stuff.
Carl (Ciaran Hinds) questions the validity of the target for the first time. Avner explains that this man once tried to assassinate David Ben-Gurion. Carl asks whether there was evidence, but Avner saw none, choosing to believe what he was told.
They almost blow the place up while the daughter is there. They don't.
Moral issues aside, they were specifically instructed not to kill "civilians." The target is blown up.
53:05 - The Group Meets Again
One of Robert's toys crosses a tightrope
53:50 - First Retaliation
A letter bomb at an Israeli Embassy. It was one of dozens of others that didn't go off.
54:45 - Avner Sneaks Back To Israel For The Birth Of His Daughter
Reaffirmation of the family theme.
57:22 - Following Target #3
They are in Cyprus. The target is Hussein Abad Al-Chir. His hotel room is next to newlyweds, who have come to Cyprus to marry because they are a mixed marriage.
They plan a bed bomb. Carl tells the story of an agent who got so paranoid that he was afraid to sleep in bed and instead slept in the closet. As they set things up, Carl asks Avner about his newborn. "Mozel tov." Carl then tells Avner that the last target, who was wounded in the bombing finally passed away. "Mozel tov." The moral equivalency the repeated phrase suggests makes Avner blanch.
58:52 - The Third Killing
Avner waits on the balcony to see when Al-Chir goes to bed. The "mixed marriage" couple gets boisterous on their balcony. Avner and Al-chir chat pleasantly.
Al-Chir goes to bed. Avner paces. The power of turning out his light, signaling the bomb to be detonated, weighs on him. The explosion, which is not quite like any urban bombing we've ever seen, including the sound of an eardrum overstressed and bloody limbs of the victim hanging from the ceiling fan, now in the next room.
Avner is almost killed as well. The couple next door are physically brutalized in the explosion. She cannot see, perhaps blinded forever.
1:05:16 - Aftermath
The team questions what went wrong and immediately finger their source, Louis, as a likely traitor.
They all start to wonder whether they are really as safe as they felt just an hour earlier.
1:06:20 - Meeting With Louis
Avner stares into an idyllic storefront kitchen.
Lois arrives… blames the bomb maker. Avner says there is nothing wrong with his bomb maker but, as we will learn, Louis may know more about Avner's team than Avner does.
Louis gives Avner three names in Beirut, which is outside of the region in which he works. He was told that they would not be going into Arab countries.
Louis reasserts that he does not work for governments.
1:08:22 - Group Meal… With Ephram
They argue with Ephram that they need to go to Beirut to kill the three names.
They talk him into letting three of the five go, with the Israeli army, into Beriut.
1: 10: 44 - The Beirut Sequence
"Black Magic Woman" accompanies the boats into the harbor.
30 or so men land, start to dress in civilian clothes, some as women… including the unflinchingly macho Ehud Barak.
Half a dozen or so approach an Arab checkpoint as strolling couples. The six at the checkpoint go down easily. They all start running for the targeted building.
The urban warfare of the sequence inside of the building is not unreminiscent of the Munich massacre sequence… though these soldiers are clearly intending to kill and far better trained.
Target #1 is under the door that was blown off its hinges by a small detonation. He is identified… and shot to death. The door "closes" on him again.
Target #2 is in bed with a woman. She is removed from the room. He is shot to death.
Target #3 shoots back through the door before it can be knocked down. But another entry way, a glass door, leads to he and his woman being shot down by automatic weapon fire.
A kid with a shotgun is spared.
The Fedayeen arrives. A machine gun battles goes on as the Israelis exit the building. A remarkable turn takes place as more Israelis come out the rear entrance, unexpected by the Fedayeen shooters, and they are shot down from behind.
1:15:17 - The Chateau Sequence
The sequence starts with a shot of Louis in the rear view mirror of his car. As we pull out, a long look at the sequence makes it clear that it is a CGed shot, forcing a perspective not known to the natural word of physics. Amazing.
"My papa would like to meet you."
"I wasn't in Beirut."
Louis doesn't believe him. He not only wants Avner to go with him without knowing where he is going, but he wants him to wear a blindfold. After Louis drives away, Avner chases him and agrees to the rules.
They are somewhere in the French countryside.
8 kids come running as the car arrives. One takes Avner inside the house and then to Papa (Michael Lonsdale). Papa is cooking.
"We are tragic men. Such big hands, gentle souls."
They walk in the garden
"These are going to be too sour to eat."
"Skin them and prick them and boil them in sugar. A little torture and you'll see how nice they are.""We don't work with governments… but you did what you did because you have to feed your family."
They all sit at the family table.
"We paid this price so Vichy sum could be replace by Gaullist scum and the Nazis could be replaced by Stalin and America. Stay away from governments."
Papa walks Avner to the car.
"The world has been rough with you, with your tribe. It's right to respond roughly to such treatment. You pay well and your pay promptly, so we will continue together. But no more infractions."
"You could have been my son. But you're not. Remember that. We'll do business. But you aren't family."
The blindfold goes back on.
Back in town, Louis offers a name. Avner asks for his most important target. Louis gives him a name not on the list. He is the replacement for one of the men who Avner killed. Avner takes the name.
End of ACT TWO
Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 | Munich In Sequence
December 28, 2004 - Movies You Should Have Seen, But Didn't
December 29, 2004 - The Ten Worst
December 30, 2004 - The Ten Best
January 3, 2006 - Reflections On A New Year
January 6, 2006 - Sundance Preview
January 5, 2006 - The Business Of 2001, Pt 1
