R E v I E w 5 • • Michael Anderson's Sword of Gideon

side . from a few strange lapses, Sword of Gideon is a highly in­ Ateresting and complex two-part made-for-TV movie jointly produced by Alliance Entertainment Corporation and CTV. A tight plot-line, fascinating characterizations, and depth of themes make this production quite distin­ guished, and perhaps especially because of a certain level of political risk-taking central to its project. A key problem in mainstream treat­ ments of 'terrorism' is that we usually learn nothing about the root causes be­ hind the so-called 'terrrorist' acts, In­ steaq, 'terrorists' tend to be depicted by the media as insane anomalies whose actions have no origins in politicaVhis­ torical conditions. This severing of 'ter­ rorism' from its root causes allows for virtually no understanding of the real • Leslie Hope and Steven Bauer fight acts of wanton savagery • Colleen Dewhurst as Golda Meir conditions that give rise to extreme acts, which then (quite usefully) appear moments of extreme tension, especially doning the rigid senst: of 'duty' and pat­ pect of his difficult choice is entirely av­ to be wanton, unprovoked eruptions of involving that weapon-of-choice in '80s riotism that Samuels thinks will keep oided by the film - perhaps because, madness. Arguably, the crucial ques­ TV: the bomb. At least four times in the him under his thumb: a subservience living in New York, he is apparently safe tions about 'terrorism' center around course of the movie a bomb erupts on­ dependent on financial rewards. As from 'terrorist' revenge? Instead, the such things as: which groups get label­ screen to blow up a restaurant, a car, an Poppa, the French contact, has earlier film neatly makes an ellipsis to later led as 'terrorist' and which do not (and apartment, and finally (and most spec­ stated: "Almost everyone will do some­ scenes of Avner back in Israel, having why?); what are the politicalJhistorical tacularly) the hit-squad explosives ex­ thing for a price." Avner becomes that rejoined the Israeli army for the Yom conditions that provoke 'illegitimate' pert himself (played by Michael York). exception. Kippur war. More problemmatic, how­ violence; where and ~ow does This scene, brilliantly structured to Sword of Gideon is a rich work that ever, is the final intertitle that closes the legitimized power operate such that catch the audience off-guard, is perhaps lingers in the mind, in part because of production. Before the end-credits roll, those on its furthest margins are driven the most horrific of all, and in focussing the sensitivity in the acting and the we read that governments struggle to to brutal acts? Without any considera­ it around a character we have come to depth in the script (by Chris Bryant, find "the near impossible - a civilized tion of such deeper issues, the like, the film further drives home its based on the novel by George Jonas), response to acts of wanton savagery" . mainstream can easily characterize 'ter­ theme of the uselessness of vengeance. but also because of the provocative na­ Arguably, the word-choice here con­ rorists' as germ-like entities to be eradi­ The overall structure of the film is to ture of the questions it raises. As CTV's tradicts the moral impetus of the movie cated by the most efficient means - a follow each murder by the hit-squad Arthur Weinthal, vice-president of pro­ itself. "Wanton savagery" carries the mindset summarized in one American with the murder of one of their own. gramming, has stated: "That same thing meaning of unprovoked violence, but movie by the memorable line: ''You're The killing becomes visually more done as an American production would Avner himself seems to have come to the disease and I'm the cure." graphic with each assassination, as have looked different. There would understand that each act of vengeance To its credit, Sword of Gideon goes though gradually moving us from have been a different attitude and it provokes a vengeful response, that "If some way toward confronting this abstraction to physical confrontation would have produced a different edito­ we keep taking an eye for an eye, soon simplistic mindset by addressing the with the grisly results of the motive of rial point of view." While one could the whole world will be blind". Presum­ first question raised above: the arbitrar­ revenge. Similarly, Avner himself moves argue that the nature of spectacle ably, he has learned that behind any act iness of the label 'terrorist' as applied to closer and closer to physical contact (especially destruction-as-spectacle) of savagery by one side there has been one group but not another. ''You're not with the dead, until finally, with the ties this movie into an American a preceding act of savagery by the terrorists, you're not them," Israeli Sec­ death of squad member Hans, he ten­ mainstream, that tie is, in a sense, sub­ other, with vengeance stretching back ret Service recruiter Samuels (Rod derly holds the body close to himself. verted by the growth of the main through history in a terrible chain that Steiger) tells his hand-picked five-man This physical progression coincides character who moves out of adolescent is not 'wanton' but is, rather, the past it­ hit-squad hired to avenge the deaths of with his moral growth and decision to Clint Eastwood-style fantasies of himself self bearing its awful fruit. And here we Israeli athletes in Munich in 1972. The refuse to work for Samuels, despite the that fit with revenge, and into a moral begin to see that the transformation of movie thus begins with the central repercussions. position that has been painfully gained. the 'territories'!hit-squad opposition to structural opposition: 'terrorists'!hit A sub-theme for this development in Director Michael Anderson has a ten­ the assassins/army opposition raises squad, with the latter teno given the full Avner is his relationship with three dif­ dency to want to here recreate his questions that are equally disturbing, if endorsement of Golda Meir (Colleen ferent father-figures: his birth father Around the World in Eighty Days by unexamined here. Dewhurst) 'herself' Oohn Hirsch), Samuels, and Poppa an incessant globe-hopping among In the course offour television-hours, (French contact and friend of his own some eight different countries, and Joyce Nelson. that central opposition is gradually father). In each case, Avner must come there is at least one moment that is transformed into another reflecting the to tenos with the older man in order to badly acted (the female 'terrorist' who, SWORD OF GIDEON p_ Raben Lantos d. Michael Anderson exec. p. Denis Heroux. moral development of the central find his own stance in the world. This with two bullets in her chest, manages John Kemeny sc. Chris Bryant d.o_p_ Claude Agostini character. Avner (beautifully played by theme coincides with the Old Testa­ to retrieve her notes and toss them into prod. design. Trevor Williams ed. Ron Wisman Steven Bauer). As he leads the five-man ment motifs in the film, especially the the flames and then, a bit later, sit up prod. man_ Joyce Kozy KIng prod. supllsrael Zvi and spit in Avner's face). But such Spielmann cam_ Allen Smith sd. ClaUde Hazanavicius hit-squad in its acts of revenge, seeing eye-for-an-eye morality which has insti­ cost. design. Laurie Drew cast. dir. Lynn Stalmaster. the human consequences in both the gated the fonning of the Israeli hit­ lapses are forgivable. Others are more Clare Walker cast. Montreal Ginene D'Amico stunt families of those he has killed and those squad. In coming to tenos with the problemmatic. co-:onl Dwayne Mclean l.p. Steven Bauer, Rod Father (various aspects of the patriar­ Having defied Samuels, Avner ("the SteIger. CoUeen Dewhurst. Michael York. Roben Jo,'. of his own team, Avner comes to ques­ Laurent ~.ialet. Peter ~orsky. Leslie Hope. John tion the role he has taken on. The cen­ chy) and also becoming a father him­ most-wanted-man in Europe" because HIrSCh. Uno Ventura. CyneUe Claire. Unda Griffiths. tral structural opposition at work in the self, Avner quite literally becomes his of his assassinations) is presumably Eric Gaudry. Audy Levy. Hrant Aliana!<. Daniel Alfi without protection and thus entirely Neil Kroetch. David Zatouti. Septlmiu Sever. Grego~: film becomes that of assassins/Israeli own man in the course of the film, aban­ Tal. Arthur Grossner. Danette Mackav. Israel R b' ., army, with Avner quitting Samuels' or- ganization to eventually rejoin the vulnerable to attempts on his own life chik. TV mini, series that aired on crY and HB; ~ This assassin's progress is marked by army. and those of his wife and child. This as- had different running times for each. an

30/Cinema Canada - January 1987