In director Christian Schwochow’s Netflix film, Munich: The Edge of War, someone says, “It began atrociously and went downhill from there”. Based on the 2017 book Munich by Robert Harris, that line roughly summarises the inception and events of World War II whose grinding impact was felt for generations.

The role of then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his efforts to fend off a war through negotiations with Adolf Hitler forever affixed a sinister meaning to the word “appeasement”. It led to the eventual rejection of Chamberlain as Britain realised that a war was imminent. His capitulation to Hitler’s false assurances forced Britain to pay heavy reparations in its quest to stop the Nazis.

The film may not keep one on the edge of their seat but will make one squirm in it for sure during its duration of two hours and nine minutes. The infamous 1938 Munich Pact, signed between a pacifist Chamberlain and a war-mongering Hitler, forms the premise that unfolds in a polished manner but falls short of delivering its full potential.

It opens on an extravagant night at an Oxford University bacchanal in 1932. Two friends, the British Hugh Legat, played by George MacKay, and the German Paul von Hartmann, played by Jannis Niewöhner, indulge in a champagne-fuelled discourse about the prospects of a “New Germany” on the lush lawns of Oxford under a starry night sky. Glimmering with hope upon their graduation, little do the friends realise that the world would soon march towards many sleepless nights fraught with endless nightmares. Lena, another German student and von Hartmann’s girlfriend, provides a forewarning with her description of neo-Germany — “a bunch of thugs and racists.”

Years later, Legat bags the job of Chamberlain’s personal secretary, and von Hartmann, who was initially taken in by Hitler’s promises for a new country, joins the Resistance that seeks to put an end to the Fuhrer. Given these times where the ascendency of extreme right-wing politics seems imminent, in a subtle way Munich insists that viewers cast a retrospective glance before jumping onto the bandwagon of frenzied hyper-nationalism. The same had made Germany’s electorate bring to power a dictator through democratic means. It ended in devastation, not just for the rest of the world, but also for the Germans who became prisoners of their own making.

What the film attempts to portray through the characters of Legat and von Hartmann is remarkable. Their mercurial friendship personifies the unstable relations between Great Britain and Germany on the brink of war as Hitler seeks to invade Czechoslovakia. The British PM tries to broker a peace deal but admits his abhorrence towards Hitler.

Similarly, Legat, during his initial visit to the European country, finds it gripped by fascism and riled with protests against the Nazi regime. He is reviled by the jingoism but fails to convince his friend. On the contrary, von Hartmann snaps ties with his Oxford mate, convinced that he is incapable of comprehending the Fuhrer’s intentions — a similar line of thought adopted by Hitler against Britain.

The film limits itself to the bureaucratic hurdles that go into negotiations between countries on the verge of a conflict. Though it was promoted as a war film, Munich can end up disappointing viewers who expect battle scenes with blazing guns and Stuka bombers. It essentially focuses on the tenuous pre-war situation where talks form the fulcrum. Schwochow’s historical thriller also gains relevance given the backdrop of prevailing geopolitical tensions where Russian troops have entered Ukrainian territory.

The insights offered on the Munich Pact while laying bare the shrewd motives of Hitler, also highlights a Machiavellian persona in Chamberlain. His virtuous image in the face of a Nazi rampage fizzles out when it is established that he didn’t have any intention to stop Hitler from invading Czechoslovakia or attacking other European countries. Eventually, he mainly wanted to carve out a deal to buy off Britain’s immunity against Nazi attacks. It resonates in the words of von Hartmann, “The English have always distanced themselves from feelings”.

MacKay, despite being assigned a central role, seems trapped in his character of Will Schofield from Sam Mendes’ much-feted World War I drama,1917. His lugubrious appearance throughout, except when he is forced into a melee by a guard of the Fuhrer, makes him appear like a mannequin that springs to life from time to time. Niewöhner is comparatively more convincing in his performance. Jeremy Irons, an actor of immense calibre who plays Chamberlain, sadly remains under-utilised.

Mostly shot in the United Kingdom, Munich presents a balanced assemblage of soothing visuals. With its vintage Vauxhall four-door saloons and 1930s costumes, the film is classy in the quintessential British way. Creaky radios that broadcast news every minute, dimly lit office cabins where women hammer away at typewriters, and men from Downing Street in their suits and Windsor knot ties juggling files, pouring Scotch and making a flurry of calls from classic rotary dial telephones — all such details successfully encapsulate the vibe of that era in London’s political headquarters.

That said, Munich fails to live up to the running time as it lacks content to keep one hooked. One gets the feeling on occasion that scenes are tacked on just to stretch the narrative and meet duration goals. Proceedings could have been neatly wrapped up in an hour, or else, Schwochow should have introduced more elements to retain one’s attention.

In the main, one feels it would have been prudent had more focus been given on the interactions between the two political and historical figures. Munich will only appeal to those with a cursory interest in history. Munich: The Edge of War is up for viewing on Netflix.

(The writer is a reporter, The Statesman, Kolkata)