''Munich – The Edge of War'' is a 2021

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Period (punctuation) * Era, a length or span of time *Menstruation, commonly referred to as a "period" Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (o ...

spy thriller Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelli ...

film directed by Christian Schwochow, from a screenplay by Ben Power. It is based upon the 2017 novel ''

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

'' by Robert Harris. The film stars George MacKay,

Jannis Niewöhner Jannis Niewöhner () (born 30 March 1992) is a German actor known for his role in the ''Timeless'' trilogy of films: ''Ruby Red'', ''Sapphire Blue'', and ''Emerald Green'', based on a book series A book series is a sequence of books having certa ...

and

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, ...

. ''Munich – The Edge of War'' had its world premiere at the

BFI London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival held in London, England, in collaboration with the British Film Institute. Founded in 1957, the festival runs for two weeks every October. In 2016, the BFI estimated that around 240 fe ...

on 13 October 2021, and was released in a limited number of cinemas on 14 January 2022, before its streaming release on 21 January 2022, by

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

Plot

In 1932, Hugh Legat, and his German friends Paul von Hartmann and Paul's girlfriend Lena celebrate their graduation from

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

. Hartmann insists Legat visit him in

to experience the " New Germany". Six years later, Legat is on secondment from the British

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...

; working as Prime Minister

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

's private secretary. Europe is on the brink of war. Chamberlain strives to obtain peace with

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

at any cost, even if that means allowing Germany to seize control of the

Sudetenland The Sudetenland ( , ; Czech and ) is a German name for the northern, southern, and western areas of former Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by Sudeten Germans. These German speakers had predominated in the border districts of Bohe ...

from

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

. Chamberlain writes to

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

in an effort to halt military action; it seemingly works and Hitler agrees, inviting Chamberlain and French Prime Minister

Édouard Daladier Édouard Daladier (; 18 June 1884 – 10 October 1970) was a French Radical Party (France), Radical-Socialist (centre-left) politician, who was the Prime Minister of France in 1933, 1934 and again from 1938 to 1940. he signed the Munich Agreeme ...

to Munich for a conference. Meanwhile, Hartmann is working as a translator in the

German Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Federal Foreign Office (, ; abbreviated AA) is the foreign ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany, a federal agency responsible for both the country's foreign policy and its relationship with the European Union. It is a cabinet-level ...

in Berlin while secretly plotting with a

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

general in an effort to overthrow Hitler if top army officials agree to arrest him and seize control. The general believes this cannot be accomplished unless Hitler is allowed to invade the Sudetenland, while Hartmann doubts the collective resolve of the generals. Hartmann is given a stolen document (the

Hossbach Memorandum The Hossbach Memorandum is a summary of a meeting in Berlin on 5 November 1937 attended by German dictator Adolf Hitler and his military and foreign policy leadership in which Hitler outlined his expansionist policies. The meeting marked the beginn ...

) by his lover, Helen Winter, that indicates Hitler intends to conquer Europe. Hartmann and the others reconvene and agree that getting the information to Chamberlain while he is in Munich is their best option; Hartmann reveals he has a trusted former classmate, Legat, who can likely help. Hartmann is handed a pistol to assassinate Hitler should the opportunity arise. In London, Legat is approached by Sir

Alexander Cadogan Sir Alexander Montagu George Cadogan (25 November 1884 – 9 July 1968) was a British diplomat and civil servant. He was Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 1938 to 1946. His long tenure of the Permanent Secretary's office makes ...

and Sir

Stewart Menzies Major General Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, (; 30 January 1890 – 29 May 1968) was Chief of MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), from 1939 to 1952, during and after the Second World War. Early life, family Stewart Graham Menzies ...

MI6 The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...

regarding the document in Hartmann's possession. It is suggested that Legat accompany Chamberlain to the conference, rendezvous with Hartmann, and retrieve the document. He agrees to help, despite the dangers associated with

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...

. Legat convinces Chamberlain to bring him along to Munich as a translator. Hartmann boards Hitler's

train A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...

to Munich where he shares his compartment with a childhood friend, Franz Sauer. Upon discovering that Sauer has become a ''

Schutzstaffel The ''Schutzstaffel'' (; ; SS; also stylised with SS runes as ''ᛋᛋ'') was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II. It beg ...

'' officer, Hartmann hides the documents and gun in the compartment washroom. Hartmann catches Sauer rummaging through his suitcase, and realizes that Sauer has become suspicious of him. Later, Hartmann meets with Hitler, who chastises him for his Oxford education. In Munich, Legat and Hartmann reunite, a flashback reveals they had a falling out in 1932 after a heated verbal argument related to Hartmann's then-support of the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...

. Legat agrees to take possession of the document, but is unable to pass it along to Chamberlain. With the signing of the agreement imminent, Hartmann insists that they immediately present the argument to Chamberlain and convince him to not sign the

Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...

. Legat and Hartmann meet with Chamberlain, who scoffs at the idea of not signing based on vague German military plans for a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

and refuses to take action. Hartmann takes Legat to a local

nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...

to see Lena, revealing that in 1935 she was arrested at an anti-Nazi rally and sent to a concentration camp, only to have a

Star of David The Star of David (, , ) is a symbol generally recognized as representing both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles. A derivation of the Seal of Solomon was used for decora ...

carved in her back and be thrown out of a window after she was found to be

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, resulting in

paralysis Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of Motor skill, motor function in one or more Skeletal muscle, muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory d ...

and an inability to speak. Hartmann reveals he intends to assassinate Hitler, much to Legat's dismay. When Legat returns to his hotel, he finds his room has been ransacked by Sauer, who attacks him. Legat discovers the document is gone and panics, but he is able to get a discreet message to Hartmann informing him. Hartmann meets with Hitler but cannot bring himself to shoot him. The Munich Agreement is signed. As Legat enters the car bound for the airport, typist Joan Menzies reveals that she is the niece of Colonel Sir Stewart Menzies, and that she had been assigned to help Legat in his espionage activity; she took possession of the document to prevent Sauer from finding it. Chamberlain returns to Britain and gives his famous "''

Peace for our time "Peace for our time" was a declaration made by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in his 30 September 1938 remarks in London concerning the Munich Agreement and the subsequent Anglo-German Declaration. The phrase echoed Benjamin Disr ...

''" speech. Legat returns home to his wife and son, revealing that he plans to leave the diplomatic service and join the RAF. The Munich Agreement ultimately fails and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

begins. Chamberlain resigns several months later, dying soon after. But because of the signed agreement, the start of the war is postponed, allowing Britain more time to prepare. Eventually, the

Allies of World War II The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international Coalition#Military, military coalition formed during World War II (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers. Its principal members were the "Four Policeme ...

win the war.

Cast

Production

In November 2020, it was announced

, George MacKay,

Sandra Hüller Sandra Hüller (; born 30 April 1978) is a German actress. She has appeared in German, Austrian, British, French, and American films. She has received various accolades, including two European Film Awards, a César Award and three German Film Aw ...

Liv Lisa Fries Liv Lisa Fries (born 31 October 1990 in Berlin) is a German actress who has appeared in several films and who gained an international following as the female lead Charlotte Ritter in the German TV series ''Babylon Berlin'', which first premiered ...

and

August Diehl August Diehl (; born 4 January 1976) is a German actor, primarily known to international audiences for playing Gestapo major Dieter Hellstrom in Quentin Tarantino's ''Inglourious Basterds'' (2009) and Michael "Mike" Krause, Evelyn Salt's husband, ...

had joined the cast of the film, with Christian Schwochow directing the film, from a screenplay by Ben Power, based upon the novel of the same name by Robert Harris, with

set to distribute.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began in October 2020 and ended in December 2020. Filming took place in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

and

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

. The working title was ''Munich 38''.

Revisionism and historical accuracy

Although the main characters are fictionalized for plot development, the author and film have given Chamberlain a more sympathetic role in the build-up to World War II. Often deemed a coward for his "appeasement" of Hitler, some modern historians have taken the view that the Munich Conference was a stalling tactic to allow Britain to prepare for an inevitable war with Nazi Germany. The film itself portrays the conference as a "best case, worst case" scenario. In the best case, Hitler would cease his planned invasion of

. In the worst case, the letter of agreement would give Britain time to consolidate allies, rearm the military and perhaps get the United States involved.

Reception

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Munich - The Edge of War 2021 films 2020s historical drama films British historical films British historical drama films German historical drama films Cultural depictions of Neville Chamberlain Films about Adolf Hitler Cultural depictions of Benito Mussolini Films directed by Christian Schwochow Films about diplomats 2020s English-language films Netflix original films 2020s German-language films English-language German films Films scored by Isobel Waller-Bridge Films set in 1938 Films set in Munich Films set in Berlin Films set in London Films shot in Berlin Films shot in Potsdam Films shot in Munich Films shot in Liverpool 2020s British films English-language historical drama films