By Dennis D. McDonald

Here are some adjectives that describe this film:

• Sumptuously photographed
• Adult
• Brutal
• Thought provoking
• Tense
• Depressing

Spielberg takes the astonishing visual and dramatic skills displayed in War of the Worlds and applies them to a serious, real-world topic: the degradation of morality that inflicts those who, in taking the seemingly moral route of self preservation, eventually succumb to the same evil effects of those they seek to punish.

Munich reminds me of the old saying, “The operation was a success but the patient died.” That the issues raised by this faux history of events kicked off by the massacre of Israelis at the 1972 Olympics are still so relevant is a testament to Spielberg’s intelligence and sense of morality — and to the fact that things haven’t changed that much.

It also helps that he’s a terrific film-maker who is willing to attack complex topics in an intelligent, personal, and thoughtful way.

Highly recommended.