Steven Spielberg's film about Israel's revenge for the killing of its athletes by Palestinian guerrillas at the 1972 Munich Olympics opens in three weeks, but the Oscar-winning director has made surprisingly little effort to publicize it.

Leaders of Jewish and Muslim groups as well as diplomats and foreign policy experts will preview ``Munich'' before its U.S. release on December 23, but Spielberg has shied away from the media hype and costly promotional campaigns that typically precede a big-studio movie, including several of his own.

The low profile is even more unusual given that ``Munich'' has appeared, sight unseen, on almost every pundit's list of films expected to be nominated for an Oscar for best picture.

Spielberg's associates say the director, recognizing the potential of his film to stir fierce debate, insists on letting the work speak for itself.

It is arguably the most politically charged movie of a career that has not shied from confronting difficult issues, among them the Holocaust in 'Schindler's List' for which Spielberg won an Academy Award.

``He didn't want to talk to anybody until people had a chance to see the film,'' spokesman Marvin Levy said. ``He said, 'Let me make the movie, and then we'll show the movie, and everyone can make up their own minds.''

Another associate close to the production added: ``We know there's going to be controversy. We just want to make sure it's informed.''