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In the ’70s and ’80s, Steven Spielberg was notable for pioneering the blockbuster landscape. But in the ’90s, the director would transcend beyond that status following his versatility, as he would delve into more serious territories withSchindler’s List, one of Spielberg’s most important films to date.
However, the director’s other attempt at helming a historical film wouldn’t be as universally acclaimed asSchindler’s Listfollowing its political aspect. Moreover, the director was aware the film would divide viewers upon its release, as he recalled discussing this matter with Tony Kushner.
Steven Spielberg Knew He Was Delving Into Hot Water WithMunich
Steven Spielbergwas fully aware that his 2005 filmMunich, based on the 1972 massacre in Munich, was going to stir some controversy upon its release. Being the most intentionally political film of his career, the film’s initial reception was impacted by post-9/11 politics, the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and doubts about its historical accuracy.
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While the general reception towards the film has improved with time, which scored five Oscar nods upon its release, Spielberg expected the political backlash at the time. TheJawsfilmmaker stressed that he felt the story needed to be told, and recounted discussing with his fellow collaborator Tony Kushner in length about the film making noise upon its release.
He said (viaDGA):
I kind of saw it as a story that I felt needed to be told… Tony Kushner and I would sit around waiting for the shot to be lit and talk about how people were going to have a real tough time understanding and reconciling what this film is. And Tony was the one, more than even me, who said, ‘We’re going to make a lot of noise with this movie, and it’s not all going to be good.’ And I would say, ‘Is any of it going to be good?’ And he said, ‘Maybe 10 years from now, but I think when this film comes out it’s going to be swift-boated.’
One of the major reasons the film caused quite a stir upon its release was becauseMunichwasn’t black and white with its portrayal of the events, and posed difficult questions to the viewers.
Steven Spielberg Refused To Spoonfeed Audience WithMunich
Instead of taking a definitive stance with the film, Spielberg decided against spoonfeeding the viewers and opted to put this burden on the audience. While he agreed that many would’ve preferred the film landing somewhere definite, the Oscar winner stressed there are“no easy answers to the most complex story of the last 50 years”. Hesaid:
It would make people more comfortable if I made a film that said all targeted assassination is bad, or good, but the movie doesn’t take either of those positions. It refuses to. Many of those pundits on the left and right would love the film to land somewhere definite. It puts a real burden on the audience to figure out for themselves how they feel about these issues.
But despite opening to mixed reception upon its release, the film would eventually contribute toDaniel Craig’s James Bond casting.
“I can only do this work if I feel almost as if there is no choice”: Daniel Day-Lewis’ Rejection Letter to Steven Spielberg Made Director Rewrite the Entire Script to Convince Him Into Accepting the Role
Munichis available to stream on Apple TV.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2539
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
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MunichSteven Spielberg
