Film Reviews by KS

I watched this after reading Saul David's excellent book, Operation Thunderbolt, which was based on official documents and records and interviews with the participants and survivors, including one former member of the German terrorist group, who wasn't involved in the hijack.

It filled in some of the gaps in the three films that were made in '76 or '77, very shortly after the event, which apparently had a lot of artistic licence.

The book's 'afterword' mentioned discussions of a possible film version. I assume this effort was the final result.

I agree with other reviewers about the dance sequences - annoying and irrelevant, especially when intercut with the battle scenes at the end.

The end credits listed the names of the four hostages and one Israeli commando who died.

But there was no mention of how three hostages were caught in the cross-fire and died immediately, or later from their wounds, which was described in the book.

Nor was there any mention of why Mrs Dora Bloch was sent to hospital the day before the raid, and afterwards was abducted and murdered by Amin's thugs on his orders.

Nor was there any reference to the rescue planes landing in Kenya afterwards, to refuel and rush the badly wounded to Kenyan hospitals - for which, in reprisal, Amin mudered several hundred Kenyans who were living in Uganda, and expelled the rest.

Overall, this film may have been more close to the 'true' events than the three earlier versions mentioned - for example, the scene where Bose showed kindness to a hysterical elderly female hostage by taking her outside and calmed her by sitting and comforting her, and talking for two hours, which was described in the book by another hostage.

But the whole thing could still have been done much better, starting with losing the dancers.