The Middle East is flaring up again with kidnappings in Lebanon and the West Bank, missiles being fired on Haifa, for the first time in history, provoking aggressive reprisals by the Israeli military. What better time than to view the Stephen Spielberg movie, Munich, about the murders of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, and the countermeasures they spawned? What this film accomplishes is very significant. It raises these key questions for the martial artist: When can individuals and societies justify using force? When we choose the path of violence, what happens to our humanity and to what we consider to be humane values? Is there such a thing as a righteous fight? The characters in this film are, despite their effectiveness at killing each other, pitiable. First, they kill each other, and then they kill their spirits by seeing that: (1) The people they have eliminated are quickly replaced; (2) The replacements are often more ruthless; and (3) Inevitably, the hunters become the hunted. Finally, this question emerges: What is the only fight that youre guaranteed to lose? Answer: The one with yourself. We fight ourselves all the time when were ambivalent, or guilt ridden, or simply negative. This vortex of violence in the Middle East induces all of these feelings, and more. You shouldnt miss this film, no matter what your politics are. |
