Sword of Gideon (1986) (TV)

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

Chris Bryant (writer)
George Jonas (novel)

Release Date:

29 November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Munich Olympics | Olympics | Revenge | Israel | Munich Germany

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Steven Bauer	...	Avner
Michael York	...	Robert
Robert Joy	...	Hans
Laurent Malet	...	Jean
Peter Dvorsky	...	Carl
Rod Steiger	...	Mordechai Samuels
Lino Ventura	...	Papa
Colleen Dewhurst	...	Golda Meir
Leslie Hope	...	Shoshana
John Hirsch	...	Avner's Father
Cyrielle Clair	...	Jeanette Von Lesseps
Linda Griffiths	...	Carls Widow
Daniel Alfie	...	Ali Salameh
Hrant Alianak	...	Wael Zwaiter
Sonia Benezra	...	Mrs. Hamshari

Also Known As:

Le 11ème commandement (France)
The Eleventh Commandment (UK) (video title)
Vengeance (France)

Runtime:

173 min | UK:148 min (video)

Country:

Canada | USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | UK:15 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company:

Alliance Entertainment

Trivia:

First shown on Canada's CTV network and later on HBO as a four hour miniseries.

Movie Connections:

Version of One Day in September (1999)

First-class thriller based on real events

This made-for-TV movie is based on the book "Vengeance" by Jonas. Both are told from the viewpoint of "Avner" (played by Steven Bauer), an agent in Israel's secret service, who is recruited to lead a covert assassination squad dedicated to eliminating the terrorists responsible for the "Black September" attack on Israeli Olympians in Munich in 1972.

Israel launched different initiatives against the "Black September" terrorist organization. Avner's was deeply covert, involving a team of former Mossad agents, officially resigned from the secret agency, who operated completely independently and were paid like mercenaries. In this way the Israelis hoped to avoid disasters like the botched Lillehammer operation that killed an innocent man and resulted in the arrest of agents linked directly to Mossad.

Avner and his team create their own mercenary network using Israeli money and set about their eye-for-an-eye operation. However the stress and paranoia of their task begins to eat away at their resolve and, when a team member is himself assassinated, the team takes its own revenge. Soon they feel unable to trust even their own countrymen...

The telemovie is well done with good pacing and suspense. The moral and ethical issues that are the central theme are handled creditably and you come to care about the team members. There are strong supporting characters, particularly Rod Steiger as the team's Mossad contact "Mordechai Samuels" and Colleen Dewhurst as Israeli PM Golda Meir. Michael York also turns in a nice performance as the team's explosives expert.