Release Date: 20th April 2009 How appropriate for a movie dedicated to a radical political movement that inspired catastrophic reverberations considering the current socio-political climate of our fair world. We perpetually teeter on the brink of mass destruction, at the whim of the elected few who are more suited to rhetoric and mud-slinging than to actually helming super powers of looking after us all. Why we choose our leaders based upon oratory skills and charisma is beyond me, but then when I think of the alternatives- of a republic with the inevitable destructive influences of radical socialism and communism- even I balk at the suggestion. If film history has taught us anything it is that empowering the people is merely the first step towards reallising the dystopic potential of the human condition.
If the price of our supposedly liberated society is an abundance of radicalised elements, perhaps democracy is failing us: surely if anyone feels strongly enough about a political system to take the path of deviant politicism, then surely something is fundamentally broken. Such are the questions explored by
The Baader-Meinhof Complex. The film has been attracting favourable attention for a long time, and it is a trend I am more than happy to see justifiably flourish, for this is a truly excellent production, and one that I hope will remain free of the long grasping fingers of the Hollywood remake machine. The exceptional credentials are not surprising since
The Baader-Meinhof Complex is written and produced by
Bernd Eichinger, who took the same duel role behind the frankly mesmorising
Downfall.
The real success of the film is its full-frontal brutality: director
Uli Edel chooses not to sanitise or censor any of the violence which is brave considering the extent to which some of the footage goes for realism, but which is crucial in the film achieving its politicized goals. The first violent episode- the explosive and appalling attack on peaceful protestors which is very likely one of the most brutal pieces of cinema in modern memory and isnt easily forgettable- sets the tone for this uncompromising film. And to address the accusations that the movie glamorises terrorism, I would point to the fact that the central characters, particularly
Andreas Baader, are fairly repulsive and deeply uncool- despite some obvious desires for fame. This is more than just a good film- though the production and the talent on show are enviable- it is an important cultural flashpoint in the progress of politically invested cinema. It remains objective- a removed account of what the terrorist group was reacting against, as well as the unforgivable, ignorant response their activities inspired. Edel and Eichinger explore the Baader-Meinhof groups identification of the neo-Nazi tendencies of their government, and their subsequent move to destabilise that corrupt system with active protest in suitably objective style. The terrorist groups often despicable actions are shown to be a product of their frustrations; their impotence and impatience with compromise and gradualism breaking out in measured acts of violence against their targets. Crucially, the film never seeks to offer easy judgement, which is a major contributor to its pleasant success.
How easy it would have been to present the Baader-Meinhof group as incomplex terrorists, especially in the light of the recent terrorist activities which could have anchored a similar belief in certain elements of the films audience. But the film-makers admirably refuse such a depiction, and even wrestle with the audiences sense of empathy, introducing one scene that challenges us to experience the thrill and excitement of being anarchic and the release of not having to worry about social responsibility or traditional conventions. The night scene on the autobahn almost strays into rock star territory, as Baader (the excellent
Moritz Bleibtreu) takes a new recruit on a thrill ride shooting at road signs, clearly revelling in the juveniles adoration. Although the film seems to offer some sympathy to the necessary activities of the terrorists, the central moral compass remains intact- as an exceptional counterpoint to their radicalness is
Bruno Ganzs Horst Herold, chief of the Federal German Police. Typically of the man who became Hitler for
Downfall, Ganz is excellent, his performance ensuring that the audiences empathy for the terrorist group remains tethered, and that he becomes the hero of the piece.
If there is one problem with the cast it is the deference with which more peripheral characters are treated- especially when Baader, Meinhof and Ensslin are imprisoned and their mantle is taken up by similarly motivated individuals. When the central characters are so admirably furnished, to ignore these other characters to such an extent that they are pretty much unmemorable seems a damning choice. I also got the feeling that the film was a little too close to making the terrorism too personally linked to those central characters because of it, which of course trivialises an enormous proportion of the radically motivated communitys involvement. The only other argument I have with the film is its length- 149 minutes is a gruelling prospect at the best of times, even when the film is as affecting as this, and so long in the company of characters who are established admirably but fundamentally difficult to like makes it feel like the editing could have been a little tighter. Edel and Eichinger were obviously committed to their subject, and the integrity of their footage; sticking to a quasi-documentary style and including a frankly startling amount of research in the film, which shows in places. There is a lack of discrimination in some of the material included, and it seems rather than try to assess the legitimacy of some events to the intentions of the movie, they merely included everything they could get their hands on. The attempt to remain objective, and produce a truly accurate look at the machinations of the Baader-Meinhof groups activities in their devastatingly active decade is an admirable attempt, but at some point someone has to take responsibility for culling the superfluous material or whats to stop the next historical movies from running in real time?