Spielberg’s Munich is a dark retelling of events following the 1972 Olympic killings, a story of revenge for those infamous “Black September” deaths. Avner, (Eric Bana) is a former bodyguard of Golda Meir, recruited to secretly assassinate all who conspired to execute the Munich kidnappings. This film is extremely violent, suspenseful, and difficult to watch—based on the George Jonas novel Vengeance—it might have been more appropriately named as such.

The flashback scenes to the 72 Munich games are stunningly visceral, and just as effective as the scenes detailing killings orchestrated by the Israeli retaliators led by Avner. Spielberg is as even-handed as could be expected being inarguably the most famous Jewish filmmaker in the world, the movie condemns the savagery and futility of all killings stemmed from religious fervor.