"efore the race began and before anyone had a chance to see Spielberg's movie, it was being touted as the odds-on favorite to snare the best picture award, namely because Spielberg is a revered figure in Hollywood and had chosen to make his most serious movie since ""Schindler's List."" The film is an examination of the cost of fighting terrorism and whether a democracy can use methods like targeted assassinations without destroying or shaming itself. Arthur Spiegelman of Reuters puts down his predictions for Oscar 2006 and in his view, 'Munich' is a strong contender.

The film was hit by a backlash as soon as it was shown to Jewish American and Israeli groups, who argue that Spielberg ignored arguments that Israel was justified in using the methods it does in the war against terrorists.

New Republic literary editor Leon Wieseltier wrote that ""'Munich' prefers a discussion of counterterrorism to a discussion of terrorism; or it thinks that they are the same discussion. This is an opinion that only people who are not responsible for the safety of other people can hold.""

David Poland of Movie City News said that ""Munich"" has to overcome the impression that it is anti-Israeli and possibly can do this ""because the anti-Israeli accusation is a neoconservative one and not a mainstream Jewish one.""

He noted that at screenings at the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, whose members give out the Oscars, ""Munich"" was well received.

Poland, himself, is optimistic, predicting that ""'Munich will still win the Academy Award. I think 'Brokeback' will suffer when it goes into a wider viewing.""

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