Munich – The Edge of War

2021

PG-13

2h 10m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

599

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Drama

History

At the tense 1938 Munich Conference, former friends who now work for opposing governments become reluctant spies racing to expose a Nazi secret.

Directors

Christian Schwochow

Writers

Ben Power(screenplay by)

Robert Harris(novel by)

Ben Power(adaptation by)

Stars

George MacKay

Jannis Niewöhner

Jeremy Irons

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Top cast

Hugh Legat

Paul von Hartman

Neville Chamberlain

Sir Nevile Henderson

Jessica Brown Findlay

Pamela Legat

Franz Sauer

Helen Winter

Sir Horace Wilson

Adolf Hitler

Lena

Anne Chamberlain

Sir Alexander Cadogan

Heinrich Himmler

Sir Osmund Cleverly

Joan Menzies

Foreman Frank Wright

Maitre D'

Cecil Syers

Directors

Christian Schwochow

Writers

Ben Power(screenplay by)

Robert Harris(novel by)

Ben Power(adaptation by)

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It’s a bright looking setting for such a dark time in history in Munich: The Edge of war - Everything looks colourful and stylish. Nevertheless Schwochow keeps the tension up right from the beginning. It’s a classic case of the audience knowing more than the characters. Helping with the tension is keeping the Germans speaking German. The film has an impending doom about it. It's Titanic meets a world war with lots of people being wrong in their assurances of the future. This is fine, they're saying. The tension between the two leads Legat and von Hartmann reflects the tensions between the countries yet somehow in reverse. They are trying to reconcile while their countries irrevocably turn to war. The script is good enough not just to make these two characters overly simple. McKay finds himself again being a messenger right back in the wars (after after he starred in 1917) with the world being on the verge of WWII. He just must be made of the right stuff - or at least the running stuff. Irons thrives as the miscalculating Chamberlain PM, while the film shows him to be harshly treated by history. Everyone seems anxious as if there was a war on or something. The theme of personal need versus national duty comes up as well as the sacrifices required come in opposite directions when some are sacrificing for the country and others are against it. The film serves as inspiration and a warning for future skirmishes. Viewers can be glad the filmmakers resisted the temptation of calling this Hitler’s Translator. It’s an effective international thriller since the audience know the ending and its accompanying tragedy.

M_i_c_h_a_e_l25 Jan, 2022