Genre: Drama, Crime Thriller
Director: Uli Edel
Starring: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz
Running Time: 150 minutes (plus trailers)
Formed in the late 1960’s, The Red Army Faction was a communist terrorist organisation opposed to fascism and it’s embodiment in the American, Israeli and West German governments. Led by Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof, the group launched a series of increasingly violent bombings throughout Germany, taking the lives of hundreds of people. Der Baader Meinhof Komplex follows the members of the group as it rises to prominence, chronicling their development from frustrated, idealistic youths into inhuman killers. Gripping, troubling and unflinchingly violent, the events of this film and the actions of its characters will stay with you long after the end credits role.
This movie operates on two levels. It works as a smart and exciting thriller, filled with high tension shootouts and police pursuits. The score and camera work are at times reminiscent of the best of Hollywood action blockbusters, contributing to some absolutely heart-racing sequences, especially in the middle part of the film. But Der Baader Meinhof Komplex is also a tragic portrait of misguided individuals who have been at war for so long that they loose sight of what they’re fighting for. The young men and women in this film have noble intentions, but their methods are so horrifying that in the end we can do nothing but condemn them. To its credit, the film never passes judgement on its characters; it only leads its audience to an inevitable conclusion.
While I am on the subject of the films characters, I must pause and give praise to the excellent acting from all the lead performers: Moritz Bleibtreu as Andreas Baader, the charismatic yet utterly insane leader of the RAF, Johanna Wokalek as his girlfriend and co-conspirator, and Bruno Ganz as the relentless head of the German police. But most noteworthy by far is Martina Gedeck as Ulrike Meinhof. Her character is one of the most tragic figures I have ever seen portrayed on screen. She begins her journey as a journalist opposed to violence, but over the course of the film we see her become more and more militant, compromising her values at every turn. By the end of the movie she bares no resemblance to the person she was at the beginning, but we believe the transformation because of Gedeck’s incredible performance. And despite Meinhof’s reprehensible actions, I could not help but feel pity for this woman who sacrifices everything for what she believes in, only to be left with nothing.
There is one big problem with Der Baader Meinhof Komplex – the same problem that plagues so many films based on real events. The movie is set over a period of almost a decade, and so sometimes months or even years go by between scenes. As such, I was often struck by a feeling of discontinuity. The reason I love going to the cinema is because it is an immersive experience, but any time I see a date flash onto screen, I am pulled out. Adding to this problem is the enormous tonal shift that occurs at what I assumed was almost the end of the movie – in fact it was only the midpoint. Now the shift itself wasn’t a problem – in fact the second half is probably more compelling and certainly more thought provoking than the first. But I was so convinced that every scene after that point was going to be the last that I actually became distracted by my own thought-process (I hope that makes sense).
However, I can pardon this, because ultimately you can forget the pacing after you leave the cinema. But you will not be able to forget this story. I defy anyone to leave this film not wanting to discuss it, to contemplate its characters and their actions. As I wrote this review, I found myself thinking about the movie more and more, and the more I did, the more I liked it. And any film that can do that is always going to be worth seeing.
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex is now playing in limited release
Director: Uli Edel
Starring: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz
Running Time: 150 minutes (plus trailers)
Formed in the late 1960’s, The Red Army Faction was a communist terrorist organisation opposed to fascism and it’s embodiment in the American, Israeli and West German governments. Led by Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof, the group launched a series of increasingly violent bombings throughout Germany, taking the lives of hundreds of people. Der Baader Meinhof Komplex follows the members of the group as it rises to prominence, chronicling their development from frustrated, idealistic youths into inhuman killers. Gripping, troubling and unflinchingly violent, the events of this film and the actions of its characters will stay with you long after the end credits role.This movie operates on two levels. It works as a smart and exciting thriller, filled with high tension shootouts and police pursuits. The score and camera work are at times reminiscent of the best of Hollywood action blockbusters, contributing to some absolutely heart-racing sequences, especially in the middle part of the film. But Der Baader Meinhof Komplex is also a tragic portrait of misguided individuals who have been at war for so long that they loose sight of what they’re fighting for. The young men and women in this film have noble intentions, but their methods are so horrifying that in the end we can do nothing but condemn them. To its credit, the film never passes judgement on its characters; it only leads its audience to an inevitable conclusion.
While I am on the subject of the films characters, I must pause and give praise to the excellent acting from all the lead performers: Moritz Bleibtreu as Andreas Baader, the charismatic yet utterly insane leader of the RAF, Johanna Wokalek as his girlfriend and co-conspirator, and Bruno Ganz as the relentless head of the German police. But most noteworthy by far is Martina Gedeck as Ulrike Meinhof. Her character is one of the most tragic figures I have ever seen portrayed on screen. She begins her journey as a journalist opposed to violence, but over the course of the film we see her become more and more militant, compromising her values at every turn. By the end of the movie she bares no resemblance to the person she was at the beginning, but we believe the transformation because of Gedeck’s incredible performance. And despite Meinhof’s reprehensible actions, I could not help but feel pity for this woman who sacrifices everything for what she believes in, only to be left with nothing.
There is one big problem with Der Baader Meinhof Komplex – the same problem that plagues so many films based on real events. The movie is set over a period of almost a decade, and so sometimes months or even years go by between scenes. As such, I was often struck by a feeling of discontinuity. The reason I love going to the cinema is because it is an immersive experience, but any time I see a date flash onto screen, I am pulled out. Adding to this problem is the enormous tonal shift that occurs at what I assumed was almost the end of the movie – in fact it was only the midpoint. Now the shift itself wasn’t a problem – in fact the second half is probably more compelling and certainly more thought provoking than the first. But I was so convinced that every scene after that point was going to be the last that I actually became distracted by my own thought-process (I hope that makes sense).
However, I can pardon this, because ultimately you can forget the pacing after you leave the cinema. But you will not be able to forget this story. I defy anyone to leave this film not wanting to discuss it, to contemplate its characters and their actions. As I wrote this review, I found myself thinking about the movie more and more, and the more I did, the more I liked it. And any film that can do that is always going to be worth seeing.Der Baader Meinhof Komplex is now playing in limited release
