Spoiler Alert: Spoilers follow for ‘Munich’
Over the last decade, Daniel Craig has ably proven that he’s more than just Agent 007. After winning unanimous praise from critics and fans alike as arguably the best actor to ever play James Bond, it would’ve been easy for that role to overshadow Craig for the rest of his career. Thankfully, he’s dispelled those fears at seemingly every turn, showcasing a surprising knack for comedic timing in Knives Out and the underrated Logan Lucky, and now he’s getting long-overdue Oscar buzz for supposedly career-best work in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer.
However, many knew that Daniel Craig had acting chops long before he redefined James Bond for the modern era. In 2004, his performance in Matthew Vaughn’s Layer Cake showcased an uncanny ability to draw the viewer in even as his character engaged in questionable behavior. Yet arguably the best pre-Bond film Craig starred in actually came out one year before Casino Royale, and this movie has slowly but surely proven itself with time as one of Steven Spielberg’s best.
What Is Steven Spielberg’s ‘Munich’ About?
In 2005, Daniel Craig teamed up with Steven Spielberg for 2005’s Munich, a spy thriller with moral complexity that showcased some of the most thoughtful, nuanced work by both parties. The film focuses on the aftermath of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany; during the games, a Palestinian militant group known as Black September launched a terrorist attack that killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team (the upcoming film September 5 also focuses on the aftermath of these events).
A former Mossad agent, Avner Kaufman (Eric Bana), is assigned to lead a covert operation to retaliate against Black September by assassinating 11 of their members. Kaufner recruits four Jewish volunteers from around the world to assist him in his mission, including explosives expert Robert (Mathieu Kassovitz), document forger Hans (Hanns Zischler), fixer Carl (Ciaran Hinds), and getaway driver Steve (Daniel Craig).
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With help from informants, the team works to kill their targets while evading authorities from around the world, but as the bodies pile up, many of them begin questioning the morality of their mission, especially Kaufman. Innocent civilians are regularly put in danger through their work, and even though their mission is called one of retribution, all they seem to be accomplishing is continuing the needless cycle of violence. Worse still, since their unit works in the shadows and acts without any ties to Mossad, their job is thankless, and their own government considers them expendable.
Throughout the film, Spielberg examines a highly controversial issue with nuance: no one side is portrayed as being completely in the right or wrong. The Israeli agents are trying to protect their people and provide a safe haven for Jewish people, but they engage in acts that are morally questionable at best. While Black September’s terrorist acts aren’t excused or justified by any means, Spielberg illustrates how many Palestinians have felt pushed to a breaking point after years of oppression and want a homeland they feel has been denied to them. More than anything, Spielberg goes to lengths to show how the decades-long conflict benefits nobody involved (especially today), as bloodshed only begets further bloodshed.
‘Munich’ Is One of Steven Spielberg’s Best Films — And One of Daniel Craig’s Too
The 2000s saw Steven Spielberg doing some of the most fascinating and experimental work of his career, with films like War of the Worlds and A.I. Artificial-Intelligence. Yet arguably none hit harder than Munich, which saw a master filmmaker both loved and criticized for being sentimental, delivering a work almost unrelentingly dark and completely devoid of easy answers. It’s incredibly violent, made all the more so because he refuses to glamorize or sugarcoat it. Munich is also maybe one of his most personal movies. By looking without bias at how far a government is willing to go to see justice done, even with a supposedly just cause, one can almost see Spielberg questioning his personal beliefs.
But rather than preaching about a highly controversial issue (what we’ve detailed already will be as far as we go on it), Spielberg also works wonders in making his story universal. The haunting final scene, which shows Kaufman trying and failing to reconcile with his former handler, ends with the camera panning to the New York skyline, showcasing the recently completed World Trade Center. Spielberg’s implication was clear: the film was released right as the Iraq War was heating up. Thus, it was subtextually a meditation on the morality of America’s actions after September 11.
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Spielberg gets additional help from an exceptional cast. The long-underrated Eric Bana, in particular, impresses Kaufman, expertly showcasing his character’s increasingly guilty conscience and growing disillusionment at a cause he once thought was just. Ciaran Hinds also gets a strong showcase as one of the team’s veteran members, and Geoffery Rush makes a chilling impression as Kaufman’s handler despite limited screen time.
Meanwhile, Daniel Craig did fantastic work as a morally ambiguous spy just a year before he stepped into the shoes of the world’s most famous secret agent. His character, Steve, is maybe the team’s most bloodthirsty, at one point remarking that the only blood he cares about being spilled is Jewish blood. But his work here actually further demonstrates his range; while Casino Royale showed Bond as a bit naive despite his viciousness, Steve is a hardened killer seemingly devoid of conscience, and Craig plays that to terrifying effect.
‘Munich’ Is a Fantastic Spy Thriller
Almost two decades later, Munich holds up remarkably well. In Roger Ebert’s perfect four-star review, he stated: “With this film [Spielberg] has dramatically opened a wider dialogue, helping to make the inarguable into the debatable.” Obviously, its current political relevance speaks for itself, but above all, it’s a fantastically done spy thriller loaded with suspense and moral ambiguity. What’s most impressive is how Spielberg refuses to preach or talk down to his audience; in making the film, he wants to start a discussion, knowing there aren’t any easy answers in sight.
It’s also somewhat ironic that Daniel Craig partook in another tense spy thriller just a year before he redefined James Bond, but Munich is every bit Casino Royale’s equal and possibly its superior. Munich is available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Google Play.
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