When I watched Munich, I was sure that this is the 'best' you can get in terms of creating an artistic reality which is so edulcorated and 'politically correct' that it completely distorts the artistic value of the movie. When you approach a political topic, or a topic with a high political implication, from a literary and visual standpoint, it's obvious that taking stances is important. Based on research the film director or author must take a certain position. I know there are some very early Marxist or neo-Marxist writings that are still hidden in a private corner of my head, but I think it is impossible to create something valuable artistically when you just want to present in a very easy going way very complex historical facts.
I've heard first about 7 Days in Entebbe one year ago, when it was presented to the 68. edition of the Berlinale. I wanted to watch it but I've read some reviews that were not favorable and needed some time to completely detach myself from them and evaluate the movie with my own mind. Finally tonight I took the chance for keeping myself busy for over 1h watching it on Netflix.
The movie covers the 7 days in the life of the passengers of the AirFrance Flight from Athens to Tel Aviv, hijacked at the end of June 1976 in a joint operation of representatives of the German terrorist organisation Baader Meinhof and terrorists of the Organisation for the Liberation of Palestine. The two organisations had a quite good collaboration at the time, with Baader Meinhof members permanently training in the OELP camps in the Middle East. They were trained to attack and perpetrate acts of terror very often for a Palestininan cause, not to plant flowers or collect money for sick children.
There are two Germans (Wilfried Böse, played by Daniel Brühl, and Brigitte Kuhlmann, played by Rosamund Pike) looking to add a sense to their life, naive, intellectuals aiming to put into practice their theoretical revolutionary talks. There are Palestinians looking for revenge and not trusting the Germans - because, the movie says because of them Jews come to 'Palestine' and started to 'oppress them, doing what the Germans did' (very deep). When the intellectual level is so high, the fact that over 200 peoplewere kidnapped and brought to Uganda - not the 'eretz Uganda' of the Zionist Congress, but the Uganda of Idi Amin.
In Israel, Shimon Peres and Yitzak Rabin, later portrayed as active supporters of the dialogue with the Palestinians, as it was necessarily a direct connection to the Entebbe case, are rather keen to send dozen of Israeli military to rescue the hostages, regardless of the risks, than to give up to the requests of Palestinians. Yoni Netanyahu's death is somehow the cause of Bibi's entry into politics - most likely not.
The film avoids violence, which is inherent to such a situation, avoids taking stances, avoids clarity for ambiguity because you better avoid being so direct with your thoughts, in the end, maybe you are not right. Carlos the Jackal was also portrayed - according to a very long and boring movie - a kind of Robin Hood, a revolutionary misunderstood by its times.
The only moments who are really dramatic and worth watching are the dance insertions admirably played by the dancers of Batsheva Dance Company.
My life didn't change for good or for worse after watching 7 Days in Entebbe. I don't like art with a thesis, as I don't like obsessive neutrality. If you are smart enough - and also not a real sympathizer to a cause but trying to hide it - you can create an interesting moral case and push the public to further thinking. If not, you just avoid anything and assume that wars are done for candies. Peace and love for the revolution!
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