FilmArcade.net: "The Baader-Meinhof Complex" Review

Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
AKA: The Badder Meinhof Complex
Year 2009
Director: Uli Edel
Studio: Vitagraph Films
Stars: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bieibtreu, Johanna Wokalek
MPAA Rating R
Language: German with English Subtitles
Running Time: 150 Mins
Official Website: http://www.thebaadermeinhofcomplex.com/

“The Baader Meinhof Complex” was nominated for the Best Foreign Film at this year’s Oscars, as Germany’s entry in that category. The film lost out to Japan’s entry, “Okuribito”.

The film is based on the book by Stefan Aust. It takes place in 1970’s Germany, where terrorist attacks were occurring and the fear of the enemy inside were rocking the foundations of an unstable German democracy. There was a fraction known as The Red Army Faction, They were looking to turn Germany back of days of communism and fascism though bombings, robberies, kidnappings of high ranking officials and assassinations. They were lead by, Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck), and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek). They perceived this democracy as a new wave of fascism and that American imperialism was taking over. The only person that can stop them is head of the German police force, who understands what they are capable of.

I’m one of those people, who love to watch films that are based on history. Whether it’s about U.S or another country, those films usually draw me in because I’m always interested in learning. But after watching this film, I kind of want to learn a little more about these events to get more of an understanding to why these events happened.

"The Baader Meinhof Complex" is part action and part dramatic intelligence. The film has very good direction from Uli Edel. His direction goes a good job balancing the various elements of action and drama. The action sequences were very good. Edel makes those scenes intense, as it gets you into the flow of the film. It wasn't like, it's purpose was to be action all the time. The action serves as a good backdrop to the political environment of that period. I liked the fact that he went for it, because this could have easily been a film where you could have made this a full fledged drama. There’s nothing wrong with that, but by bring some intensity to some of the scenes. It makes the viewer interested in the subject matter, especially if it’s based on actual events.

The dramatic action was also directed very well. Edel does a good job making the characters interesting. He does that, by focusing on the actors’ performances. In order for drama to work, the performances must be good. I liked the fact that the actors were allowed to make their characters engaging. That made me interested in the source material to the point that I might want to catch a documentary and learn more about these events.

The screenplay written by Bernd Eichinger does a very good job making this film and these events in history, very interesting for those who never heard about them. One of the things that were very good here, the screenplay does a very good job focusing on these events in a straightforward manner. I liked how Eichinger doesn’t go off and focus on various subplots that have no relevant to history or to the people that he is focusing on. It makes the film very serious and gritty. Another thing that the screenplay does very well is making the film about the founding members and the beginning of the Red Fraction Army. By making the film about them, it focuses on its beginnings of organization that would last until 1992 and the political landscape West Germany during that time period. If Eichinger covered the whole group’s existence instead of Badder and Meinhof, then this film wouldn’t have been as effective, as this a very well written film.

The Badder Meinhof Complex is very entertaining action film that has a lot of very good performances and great dramatic action.

For complete list of theaters where the film is playing, you can goto: http://www.baadermeinhofmovie.com/theatres/theatres.html

Review Rating: Five Stars.