Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (The Baader Meinhof Complex) (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• xGary X

  
  The leaders of a terrorist group working within Germany in the 1970s are hunted down and imprisoned while their comrades perpetrate increasingly desperate plans for their release. The Baader Meinhof Complex is an interesting look at a period of German history I new little about, when… More
  The leaders of a terrorist group working within Germany in the 1970s are hunted down and imprisoned while their comrades perpetrate increasingly desperate plans for their release. The Baader Meinhof Complex is an interesting look at a period of German history I new little about, when the new generation feared the apathy that led to Hitler's rise and decided to act against what they saw as similarly imperialist actions. This gives an interesting political backdrop to some well executed action sequences during the first half of the film but unfortunately once they are captured, the film becomes quite unfocussed and slightly tiresome. It degenerates into various scenes of prison cell squabbling which is in no way aided by the fact that there is no central character the viewer can identify with (or hate for that matter) and so it all becomes a little difficult to care about any of these "idealists" who actually come across as arrogant, obnoxious and hypocritical. It does have its good points and is certainly an interesting backdrop to the political situation of the 1970s, but as a story of individuals it fails to engage on any real level.

• Jens S

  
  The true story of terror attacks in Germany of the 1960s and 70s, performed by left extremists of the Red Army Fraction. While the movie is already two and a half hours long, it would have needed even another hour to deliver the background for people not familiar with this part of… More
  The true story of terror attacks in Germany of the 1960s and 70s, performed by left extremists of the Red Army Fraction. While the movie is already two and a half hours long, it would have needed even another hour to deliver the background for people not familiar with this part of Germany's history. Especially the end comes rather suddenly and should have some explanations added for foreign audiences. That being said, the film does a great job in bringing this time back to life by rushing through the most important events in a really exciting and interesting way, following the most important characters on both sides of the law. The cast reads like a who is who of current German cinema, the performances are all around great, especially by Moritz Bleibtreu as terrorist leader Andreas Baader. By using montages with original news footage and music, delivering some of the strongest scenes, the film manages to sum up the mood, thread, ideas and emotions involved at that time really well. It just shows what happened, without judging or taking either the terrorists' or the law's side. A great history lesson, but probably hard to consume without some more background information.

• El Hombre I

  
  The ideals and the commitments made by those involved in the actual story are truly intriguing, However, I'm not well versed enough on Germany's post-war history to be much of an authority. With that said, The Baader Meinhof Complex, unfortunately, comes across as a tangled… More
  The ideals and the commitments made by those involved in the actual story are truly intriguing, However, I'm not well versed enough on Germany's post-war history to be much of an authority. With that said, The Baader Meinhof Complex, unfortunately, comes across as a tangled mess, at least plot wise. Instead of bringing forth worldwide revolution, the Baader Meinhoff Complex became hunted criminals. Eventually, the group was rounded up and put on trial. While incarcerated, the urban legends and conspiracy theories about the Baader Meinhoff Complex grow from within prison walls. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view&amp;current=2008_baader_meinhof_complex_006.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/2008_baader_meinhof_complex_006.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Stefanie C

  
  WOW!!! A very powerful, intense, eerie, shocking film. There is no positive outcome with terrorism. Idealism, objectives, and goals are muddled by the means. Yet, there is no doubt that there are societal wrongs that require correction and reigning powers are sometimes part of or… More
  WOW!!! A very powerful, intense, eerie, shocking film. There is no positive outcome with terrorism. Idealism, objectives, and goals are muddled by the means. Yet, there is no doubt that there are societal wrongs that require correction and reigning powers are sometimes part of or benefit from the problem. I know nothing about this era of German history or the veracity of this presentation, but seeing this film triggers the desire to learn more about the context.

• Tony G

  
  Meticulous German film that chronicles the rise and early years of the German militant group the Red Army Faction. "The Baader Meinhof Complex" is a well documented, nicely crafted film with passionate performances, superb editing of existing footage with filmed scenes… More
  Meticulous German film that chronicles the rise and early years of the German militant group the Red Army Faction. "The Baader Meinhof Complex" is a well documented, nicely crafted film with passionate performances, superb editing of existing footage with filmed scenes giving it a realistic feel. What "Baader Meinhof" does well is bring you into the moment. Ulrike Meinhof is at first an opinionated columnist who denounces Government practices and shows support for some of the rising anti-Government movements happening in her country. She moves from being observer and chronicler to active participant after meeting Andreas Baader and his partner Gudrun Ensslin after they bomb a department store. "Baader Meinhof" is an incredibly well-researched film and that academic excellence mars its ability to become an encompassing film. While the performances are great, the film goes into so much exhaustive detail that it keeps you at arm's length disallowing you to fully understand Meinhof, Baader and Ensslin and invest in their fate. By the time they begin to in fight and crumble emotionally and the RAF movement begins to take on a life beyond their control, "Baader Meinhof" becomes a History lesson that you've dozed off on leaving you informed but emotionally uninvested.

• Michael S

  
  Electrifying! One of the best films of 2009 (I know it was nominated for awards in 2008, but the film was properly released in NA in 2009... thus, it's on my best of 2009 list).

• Dean M

  
  Interesting true story of this 2009 Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of German production is based on the exploits of Berlin's Red Army Faction, a terrorist group active during the 1970s who fought against American imperialism. That was almost even to 1988 American… More
  Interesting true story of this 2009 Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of German production is based on the exploits of Berlin's Red Army Faction, a terrorist group active during the 1970s who fought against American imperialism. That was almost even to 1988 American production's <I>Patty Hearst</i>. Great politician cinema I've ever seen; the direction, the acting, the script and the editing. The quality of the acting ranges from good to fantastic (with very few exceptions like Alexandra Maria Lara, who is nothing more than wide-eyed again and who thankfully doesn't even have dialogue). Especially Martina Gedeck and Johanna Wokalek are sensational. It is THEIR film and the conflicts in Stammheim which led to Meinhof's suicide are acted Oscar-worthy. But Michael Gwisdek (Ensslin's father), Jan Josef Liefers (Peter Homann), Sebastian Blomberg (Rudi Dutschke), Nadja Uhl (Brigitte Mohnhaupt) and Hannah Herzsprung (Susanne Albrecht) arey good.

• William D

  
  "The Baader-Meinhof Complex" is a superficial, television-style movie about the Red Army Faction, the West German revolutionary group that led a wave of assassinations and bombings in the 1970s. I don't really understand why films about revolutionaries are always so… More
  "The Baader-Meinhof Complex" is a superficial, television-style movie about the Red Army Faction, the West German revolutionary group that led a wave of assassinations and bombings in the 1970s. I don't really understand why films about revolutionaries are always so shallow. I know of course that the vast majority of people, including filmmakers, don't understand revolutionaries. But why would someone who doesn't understand revolutionaries want to do a film about them? It is a similar case with films about painters and writers. The most intense artists always have the most shallow filmmakers interested in making films about them. I'd like to make a film about a superficial filmmaker making a movie about extremely intense subject matter. That would be intriguing. "Baader-Meinhof Complex" isn't terrible. It is dramatically taut and keeps one's interest. It chronicles the founding of the RAF by Andreas Baader and his girlfriend Gudrun Ensslin and the recruitment of the well-known journalist Ulrike Meinhof to their cause. The scenes where Meinhof joins the group are a perfect example of the film's superficiality. The audience learns almost nothing about why this middle-class mother of two abandons her children and joins a fiercely violent revolutionary group. The most basic motivations of the characters are incomprehensible. Only the most formulaic and glib explanations are offered, such as that Meinhof was tired of just talking and wanted to act. The poster art is indicative of the film's uncomprehending stance vis-a-vis its subjects. On the poster, Baader and Ensslin are depicted as cartoon characters. The film does indeed present its protagonists as cartoons, and that's why it is a mediocre work of art. Historical note: I don't know why the group became known as the Baader-Meinhof gang. Based at least on the film's depiction, the group really should have been known by the moniker Baader-Ensslin. Gudrun Ensslin co-led the group with Baader from day one and never strayed from Baader's side. It also is reasonable to speculate that without her there would never have been an RAF. Her revolutionary commitment was ferocious and undying. Meinhof published many writings about the group, but it doesn't appear she was much of a leader. She also appears not to have been very close personally to either Baader or Ensslin. At the time of her death, furthermore, Meinhof seems to have been reconsidering the wisdom of her life's path in a way that was quite different from Baader and Ensslin, who remained committed to the end.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Stop seeing them the way they weren't."</i> A look at Germany's terrorist group, The Red Army Faction (RAF), which organized bombings, robberies, kidnappings and assassinations in the late 1960s and '70s. Based on Stefan Aust's… More
  <i>"Stop seeing them the way they weren't."</i> A look at Germany's terrorist group, The Red Army Faction (RAF), which organized bombings, robberies, kidnappings and assassinations in the late 1960s and '70s. Based on Stefan Aust's best-selling nonfiction book. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Although being somewhat more than moderately interested in politics, I knew very little about the original activities on which this film is based. Having seen the film, I now feel vastly more knowledgeable on how world events in the late sixties and early seventies led from the emergence to the demise of this particular left wing faction. My attention was fully engaged throughout the film. I thought the screenplay brilliantly portrayed the way the mindset of the RAF developed as they became more and more convinced they were living in a police state. Acting and direction were superb throughout. In spite of the violence and repression being depicted, I was reassured by the fact that such thought provoking films can and are being made for today's cinema audiences. After seeing Die Welle (I think it was three times) earlier this year I am now very enthusiastic about German cinema and shall certainly be hoping to see Der Baader Meinhof Komplex at least once more this year. A masterpiece of political film making. Highly recommended.

• Gordon A

  
  Interesting and complex labour of love from Edel which demands a lot from the viewer with its historical sweep. It is long and the pace varies dramatically but you will learn a lot about the subject.

• Ross C

  
  A fascinating docu-drama about the rise and fall of a German left-wing terrorist group in the 1970s. The film's aim is to neutrally portray all the facts, which is also its weakness, and as such it doesn't come to any particular conclusion after two and a half hours.… More
  A fascinating docu-drama about the rise and fall of a German left-wing terrorist group in the 1970s. The film's aim is to neutrally portray all the facts, which is also its weakness, and as such it doesn't come to any particular conclusion after two and a half hours. Although it could have been made shorter and punchier, I was totally engrossed throughout and enjoyed this examination of the creation of the 'age of terror'.

• Walter M

  
  The not entirely unsympathetic "The Baader Meinhof Complex" is a mostly superficial film about the infamous terrorist cell that wrecked havoc in West Germany in the early seventies.(It also contradicts "One Day in September" that West Germany did not have any… More
  The not entirely unsympathetic "The Baader Meinhof Complex" is a mostly superficial film about the infamous terrorist cell that wrecked havoc in West Germany in the early seventies.(It also contradicts "One Day in September" that West Germany did not have any anti-terrorism forces at the time.) What the movie does best is establish the setting through copious use of archival footage(so much so, that maybe a documentary might have been a better route) that shows the rise of political violence with West Germany being on the front lines of the Cold War. The left of the time is depicted as having no choice but to resort to violence after an anti-Shah protest is brutally suppressed and anarchist leader Rudi Dutschke(Sebastian Blomberg) is shot and critically wounded. Journalist Ulrike Meinhof(Martina Gedeck), mother of two, cheers on from the sidelines until she assists the escape of Andreas Baader(Moritz Bleibtreu) from police custody. Surprisingly the Baader Meinhof gang is portrayed as rather egalitarian, as a lot of revolutionaries could be macho chauvinists. On an unrelated note, most of the gang are runaways, both adult and teenagers. Baader, Meinhof and Gudrun Esselin(Johanna Wokalek) are all parents who are on the run from their collective responsibilities. It takes a charismatic leader to change the course of people's lives like this and Moritz Bleibtreu displays little of that, simply exuding his normal slovenly charm. Actually, the terrorists are playing a game of dare which leads to a deadlier game of unintended consequences, as they lose control and become servants of other causes. Events soon spiral out of control as the government takes on fascist characteristics that they initially banded together to fight. Part of that comes from the group having an id(Baader), and an ego(Meinhof) but no superego to rein them in. While there was no failure of nerve, there was no clear idea when to stop, either.

• Nicolas K

  
  Too busy, too long and too distant from the personalities and the significance of the events that seemed to have had a significant impact in Germany's political history. I endured it till the end as I was interested to learn from historical point of view, but the stories told… More
  Too busy, too long and too distant from the personalities and the significance of the events that seemed to have had a significant impact in Germany's political history. I endured it till the end as I was interested to learn from historical point of view, but the stories told did not seem to have coherence or tight connection with each other and the motives, ideals and psychosynthesis of the protagonists is never really explained. Too stylish and not gritty enough, it feels it could have been a great film in the hands of another director.

• Lesley N

  
  Very interesting, very serious, very long and very grown up film about the Baader Meinhof terrorists v's the German government during the 1970's. Shows the pitfalls of the moral highground and the risks of ends justifying means, maybe Gandhi and Martin Luther King got it… More
  Very interesting, very serious, very long and very grown up film about the Baader Meinhof terrorists v's the German government during the 1970's. Shows the pitfalls of the moral highground and the risks of ends justifying means, maybe Gandhi and Martin Luther King got it right all along.

• Anthony V

  
  Understanding is not condoning. Being the sons and daughters of the Nazis, they perceived what they thought was the rise of Fascism again in their country and acted so another Hitler wouldn't rise. In the course of their battle, their intention became perverted, and they gave… More
  Understanding is not condoning. Being the sons and daughters of the Nazis, they perceived what they thought was the rise of Fascism again in their country and acted so another Hitler wouldn't rise. In the course of their battle, their intention became perverted, and they gave birth to the modern terrorist. Although this film could have delved deeper into the moral of "good intentions gone wrong", it chose instead to paint a picture of the people involved, showing both the good and the bad. A worthwhile film for all those who stand around asking "why" during a terrorist attack.

• Kyle S

  
  Incredible.

• MJS M

  
  It?s no secret that many people view the Best Foreign Language category of the Academy Awards as a mess. Between the country by country submission process, the process of selecting a shortlist, and the process of choosing five final films, there are a ton of roadblocks in which snubs… More
  It?s no secret that many people view the Best Foreign Language category of the Academy Awards as a mess. Between the country by country submission process, the process of selecting a shortlist, and the process of choosing five final films, there are a ton of roadblocks in which snubs can occur. This was made particularly clear in 2007, when important films like 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days were ignored in favor of off the radar oddities like Beaufort, Katy?, and 12. Many also complained about the 2008 lineup, but if you think about it they really stepped up that year. Among the nominees were the Palm D?or winner The Class, critical favorite and future Criterion-laureate Revanche, the wildly creative animated documentary Waltz With Bashir, and Departures, a film whose victory baffled many but which got solid reviews once people finally got a chance to see it. Really, that?s what the category?s major problem is, its dealing with movies which few people have actually had a chance to see and which have had no ability to get buzz stateside. That?s probably the problem that The Baader-Meinhof Complex had when its nomination baffled many. Had it had the stateside released then which it is now finally getting it might have been less of a shock. The film tells the true story of the RAF, that?s not the Royal Air Force, it?s the Red Army Faction; a group of disillusioned youths who turned to violence in an attempt to cause social change in late sixties Germany. The group could probably be equated to The Weathermen, except that they were more violent and more active than that American group. In short, these were left wing domestic terrorists who reaped havoc throughout Germany for about a decade, and that?s a topic that needs to be approached carefully. The title refers to RAF members Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu) and Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck), who became the group?s most famous members. However, the movie does not necessarily focus on either of them and they do not appear to be bilateral leaders of the organization. Rather, this is an ensemble film about an organization that appears to have been somewhat loosely organized. Baader is the member who more closely lives up to what one would expect from an RAF member, he?s young, angry and political. The kind of person who?d normally just wear a Che Guevara T-Shirt but who instead ended up taking arms and emulating him. Meinhof is a bit more intriguing. She began her career as a respected left wing journalist, but finally came to sympathize and ultimately sacrifice everything in order to join the group. These young people are raging against a lot of things around them, particularly the ongoing war in Vietnam (for which the United States has been using bases in Germany), the treatment of Palestine by Israel, and the general belief that corporations have been controlling everything. They come to the conclusion that to do nothing in the face of all this would be as much of a sin as the conformity the previous generation showed in the face of Nazism. That?s what drove them philosophically, additionally; they were living in a time of worldwide counterculture which is something the film shows very well. The film has a number of montages (perhaps too many) that really drive home the environment which bread this organization and why so many of the youth in Germany came to sympathize with them. The group?s build is rather interesting as there is a fascinating gender equality to the Baader Meinhoff group. Three of the most important RAF members (Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek), Brigitte Mohnhaupt (Nadja Uhl), and Meinhof), are women and many of them act as aggressively as the men. Do not expect Baader and Meinhof to be some kind of Bonnie and Clyde style lovers in crime. This is the late 60s and the group practices free love, a fact that does not amuse their Palestinian colleagues as evidenced by a scene where they went to a terrorist training camp and gained the reputation of being screw-ups among their peers in the terror business. Of course, amidst all the 60s clothing and rock music, one must face the fact that these people were killers. Perhaps they were idealistic and well intentioned killers, but killers none the less. That?s what makes this subject matter so challenging; terrorist are probably the least popular people in the world today and with good reason, how do you make these characters sympathetic enough to follow without glorifying them or whitewashing their less savory aspects. This is perhaps not unlike the challenges posed by making a serious film about gangs and organized crime, but magnified by the political elements. To deal with this Edel has chosen to make this a straightforward film about historical events told with meticulous detail and research. Stefan Aust?s book was clearly important to this production for far more than its catchy title, one feels like Edel was interested as much in making an accessible illustrated historical record as he was in telling a cinematic story. The history here is interesting enough for such a treatment, but it?s also the movies Achilles Heel. The material is never dry, but because this is trying to be so accurate there are developments that go against the nature of film storytelling; important characters emerge in the final act and events occur that seem separate from the main narrative thrust and in general it affair seems a bit unfocused. One wonders if this would be perfected if Edel had been willing to composite a few characters and simplify elements. Quentin Tarentino lovingly asserted in the finale of Inglorious Basterds that film is a stronger force than history, and while I certainly am not recommending that The Baader Meinhof Complex needed to take any departures as radical as Tarentino did, I do think Edel probably should have taken his duties as a film maker a little more seriously than his duties as a historian. Still, the way the film steadfastly presents history in a way that is cinematically compelling if not narratively clan, does make for a very interesting film.

• Magnus B

  
  "If one sets a car on fire, that is a criminal offence, if one sets hundreds of cars on fire, that is political action." A very interesting film about one of the most famous terrorist groups RAF, The Red Army Faction or as they later were called, the Baader-Meinhof gang.… More
  "If one sets a car on fire, that is a criminal offence, if one sets hundreds of cars on fire, that is political action." A very interesting film about one of the most famous terrorist groups RAF, The Red Army Faction or as they later were called, the Baader-Meinhof gang. Great cast with Moritz Bleibtreu as Andreas Baader, Johanna Wokalek as Gudrun Ensslin, Martina Gedeck as Ulrike Meinhof and Nadja Uhl as Brigitte Mohnhaupt. Great score by Peter Hinderthür and Florian Tessloff.

• Ina S

  
  A German all-star cast brings a dark and neglected chapter of German history to life in this extremely well-done film. Though it is hard to press several years of complicated events and their proper context into a 3-hour film, Baader Meinhof Komplex succeeds for the most part. People… More
  A German all-star cast brings a dark and neglected chapter of German history to life in this extremely well-done film. Though it is hard to press several years of complicated events and their proper context into a 3-hour film, Baader Meinhof Komplex succeeds for the most part. People with no knowledge about the historical context will probably have a tough time following the stream of names and events, but even they should get something out of the acute characterization of terrorists and their varying motivations. The cast is superb, without any exceptions, the whole force of new German cinema on display in its full glory. Some people have blamed for its reliance on "action", a criticism I can't agree with. This is a mainstream film, yes, but it admirably balances great visual and big budget with subtle, almost missable, characterizations and fantastic performances. The slight deduction is due to the difficulty of squeezing the events into a movie plot.

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