Munich's Infamous Sex Scene: Spielberg's Edit That Baffled Even the Screenwriter

Executive Briefing

• Reveals screenwriter Tony Kushner did not write Munich's controversial crosscut sex scene — Spielberg created it in editing
• Describes the scene interweaving Avner's intimacy with the 1972 massacre airfield killings, shocking audiences and critics alike
• Notes Kushner initially disliked the scene but reversed his view after rewatching the film with Spielberg 20 years later
• Explains the scene represents Avner's moral corruption, showing violence has pervaded every intimate corner of his existence
• Highlights Munich's broader reappraisal, now ranked among Spielberg's best work and newly relevant amid Israel-Gaza conflict coverage