Sword of Gideon

Starring:Steven Bauer, Michael York, Robert Joy, Laurent Malet, Peter Dvorsky, Rod Steiger, Lino Ventura, Colleen Dewhurst, Leslie Hope, John Hirsch (II), Cyrielle Claire, Linda Griffiths, Daniel Alfie, Harant Alianak, Sonia Benezra, Carol Ann Francis, Ã‰ric Gaudry, Lisa Hull, Neil Kroetsch, Shawn Lawrence
Director: Michael Anderson
Studio: Platinum Disc
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

The forerunner, almost a first draft, of "Munich"
very good!
HBO Movie Done Well
Mivtazah Elohim
The format description is FALSE!!

Sword of Gideon
Starring: Steven Bauer , Michael York , Robert Joy , Laurent Malet , and Peter Dvorsky
Director: Michael Anderson
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

The Impossible Spy
One Day in September
Raid on Entebbe
21 Hours at Munich
Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team

ASIN: B0002IQIH4
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Customer Reviews:

The forerunner, almost a first draft, of "Munich".......2007-04-09

My understanding is that Spielberg based the more recent film "Munich" on the same book that this HBO film from 20 years earlier was based on, which would account for the eerily similar, almost identical, sequence of events and character development. What I found dumbfounding is that not only are the story, the characters, and the incidents the same, but the sequence, some of the scenes, even some of the dialogue, are nearly identical: the early recruitment scene with Golda Meir eating fruit and pouring tea, Avner having bad dreams, the cut-away to exterior shots when explosions happen inside buildings, etc. Munich was a tighter and slightly shorter film and it has Spielberg's panache. "Munich" also has a post-9/11 sensibility that this earlier film of course could not have had. This film is somewhat less conflicted than "Munich" is about good vs evil, revenge vs justice. There is psychological conflict in this film, but we have no doubt about who the good guys and the bad guys are.

This is a bit easier to watch because the gore and violence are circa 1986 HBO, not 21st century for the big screen. The acting, dialogue,and details are serviceable,not with the same subtlety or interest as in the later film.
Despite the wig and prosthetic facial changes, I didn't buy Colleen Dewhurst as Golda Meir for one second, and she didn't even try to change her voice or accent.

The film quality seemed a bit washed out to me. The DVD has no features; the choices are either Play film, or Scene selection.

very good!.......2007-01-10

far better than Munich, this movie give you more deatil about the main charecter Avner. exelent if you liked Munich then this you would like even more!

HBO Movie Done Well.......2006-04-12

In addition to the other reviews, this movie is an HBO release and is full screen on the DVD. It's intriguing at times, but moves slowly elsewhere (thus, editting could have been better). It's a good look into one of the Mossad's more infamous moments. In particular, Avner's interaction with Le Group is interesting and perhaps gives an insight into today's underworld of information trafficing. The movie isn't a docudrama per se nor a story about the hunt down for Black September, but more about Avner, the leader of the "Sword of Gideon" group. Thus, the story ends when he quits the Mossad. Overall, a good spy movie with lots of zingers.

Mivtazah Elohim.......2006-03-15

Mivtazah Elohim means the Wrath of God in Hebrew and this fore-runner to to the hit movie 'Munich' by Steven Spielberg is a classic. Prime Minister Golda Meir gave the orders and a Mossad "Kidon" team was despatched. In some ways 'Munich' is better, especially in the potrayal of human emotions and how the stress and pressure of living a life on the run takes it psychological toll on a person. Assassins have feelings too like all of us. This movie does not explore the psyche so much but is very true to life, and shows how a young gung ho Israeli commando is recruited by Mossad to terminate the enemies of Israel by extra-judicial means. He is trained in close up and personal killing with small easily concealable .22 calibre Beretta autoloading handguns, very different from his Army experience as the Trainer tells him. Europe becomes the war zone for this covert and brutal war where terrorist targets are surveilled and then executed mercilessly. Italy's historic and famous Beretta arms company must have made a fortune supplying handguns to Israel. Many Intelligence experst believe that only the Israeli Intelligence serveice has the expertise and even more important, the will and determination for this kind of covert mission. In any fight sometimes it is not the weapons or the plans that count, but the raw and steely determination to fight to the last drop of blood and win. However, is becoming like the terrorist justifiable in civilised society? Can the ends justify the means like Communism? Well, God only know, that is , if you happen to believe in God. Do we fight fire with fire and thereby create an inferno or fight fire with water and turn the other cheek. However, as many surviving victims will testify, when a terrorist has his loaded, cocked and locked AK47 aimed at your heart, forgiveness is the very last thing on his or her mind. Will love and forgiveness work in such a situation? Waht do you think, really? Turn the other cheek or fight, that is the 64,000 dollar question. Steven Bauer is excellent in this movie. His potrayal of the Type A personality dynamic Commando soldier who is willing to fight for his country is very accurate. As Friedrich Nietsche has said, 'He who fights the dragon, becomes the dragon'. As long as war exists in the minds of men, bullets, bombs and blood will litter the battelfields of the world, as they have done so for so many years. C'est la guerre et c'est la vie. By The Travelling Gourmet

The format description is FALSE!!.......2006-03-02

This DVD is *NOT CLOSED CAPTIONED* at all! Wasted $$ and Amazon won't give me full refund at all, even it was their mistake.

Average customer rating:

Sword of Gideon

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

Sword of Gideon

ASIN: B000EMR2VY

Product Description

Chronicles a Mossad team hand picked to hunt down the terrorists involved in the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre of Israeli athletes.

Average customer rating:

Sword of Gideon/In the Blink of an Eye
Starring: Veronica Hamel , Mimi Rogers , Carlos Gómez (II) , Jeffrey Dean Morgan , and Brian Markinson
Director: Micki Dickoff , and Michael Anderson
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team
One Day in September
21 Hours at Munich
Undercover
Road Kill

ASIN: B0007N1JPA
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Average customer rating:

Sword of Gideon & Split Decisions

Manufacturer: Velocity / Thinkfilm
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

Suspense Thrillers
Starring: Elite , Blink of An Eye , Sword of Gideon , and So
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

The forerunner, almost a first draft, of "Munich"
very good!
HBO Movie Done Well
Mivtazah Elohim
The format description is FALSE!!

Sword of Gideon [Region 2]
Starring: Steven Bauer , Michael York , Robert Joy , Laurent Malet , and Peter Dvorsky
Director: Michael Anderson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Impossible Spy
One Day in September
Raid on Entebbe
21 Hours at Munich
Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team

ASIN: B0000C24GP

Customer Reviews:

The forerunner, almost a first draft, of "Munich".......2007-04-09

very good!.......2007-01-10

far better than Munich, this movie give you more deatil about the main charecter Avner. exelent if you liked Munich then this you would like even more!

HBO Movie Done Well.......2006-04-12

Mivtazah Elohim.......2006-03-15

The format description is FALSE!!.......2006-03-02

This DVD is *NOT CLOSED CAPTIONED* at all! Wasted $$ and Amazon won't give me full refund at all, even it was their mistake.

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Volldampf in Deutschland - Teil 2