The Baader Meinhof Complex
DIR: Uli Edel • WRI: Bernd Eichinger • PRO: Bernd Eichinger, Manuel Cuotemoc Malle • DOP: Rainer Klausmann • ED: Alexander Berner• DES: Bernd Lepel• CAST: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Bruno Ganz

This German film is based on the book of the same name by Stefan Aust. It is set in Germany in the ’60s and ’70s and tells the story of the West German terrorist group the Red Army Faction (RAF). The film focuses on the origins of the group in 1967 and on up to 1977. The film was directed by Uli Edel and it is Germany’s submission for the 81st Academy® Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

It stars Martina Gedeck as journalist Ulrike Meinhof and the film starts off focussing mainly on her. It’s uncomfortable to watch her trying to keep justifying the terrorists’ actions and we see this getting more and more difficult for her as the film goes on.

This is a heavy film. There’s plenty of brutal, realistic violence that comes from both the police force and the terrorists. It doesn’t try to give us a sympathetic view of the terrorists. It tries to present both sides of the story, showing the terrorists’ motives for their actions and also the shocking actions themselves. Even though it’s set forty years ago, the film is relevant today. The Vietnam War is in the background with students protesting against the American army, paralleling the war in Iraq today. At one point a member of the police force asks ‘Is terrorism a new form of warfare?’ a question which is pertinent today. The terrorists are unpleasant characters who are hard to like or to empathise with. At times they resemble spoilt children who throw tantrums when they don’t get their own way.

The film does have some problems. There are a lot of characters, which can make it confusing and there isn’t much character development either. It’s a little too long; towards the end the story seems to get kind of muddled. Despite all this, it’s still an interesting film, even if you know nothing of this period of German history. It’s tough to watch in some parts but well worth a look. 

Nessa O’Hara
(Read biog here)

Rated 15A (see IFCO website for details)
The Baader Meinhof Complex is released on 14th November 2008
The Baader Meinhof Complex – Official website