The Baader Meinhof Complex...this is a film you may not have heard of, but you will hear more of in the coming future. Because it's so good? Possibly, but I was referencing the "Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon: as a joke. You probably didn't get it.
Unpopular allusions aside, The Baader Meinhof Complex is spectacular, if only too spectacular. A skin-deep judgment of the film (i.e. from a trailer) may give you the impression that it's an action conspiracy flick with almost no historical base. The truth is, it's actually about one of the biggest yet mostly unheard of historical events in international history, specifically in Germany. As it states in its trailer(s), Baader Meinhof Complex is about the original "terrorists" and how they can be skewed in stories as being both heroes and villains.
Cinematically, the film is beautifully shot and graced with some spot-on editing. Action sequences are handled exceptionally well, given that most action is actually not too action-oriented. If you're looking for Matrix-caliber highway chases, you won't find them here. Instead, you will find high-tension shootouts between members of the criminal "Red Army Faction" and the police, shootouts that really linger for a while and let suspense take hold.
In addition, dialogue is lengthy at times and may roll to a dull droll, but ultimately, the overall story is handled very well. It can be a bit complex for some (especially since the events were very complicated politically) and many may even see the information influx as an overhaul. At times, this is true; the story gets a bit muddled and the fact that it's a foreign-language film, meaning having to look at the bottom of the screen every 3 seconds or so, doesn't help. Sitting atop the grandeur of complexity sits the 80 zillion or so characters. Mainly, you'll have Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek, Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck), Rudi Dutschke (Sebastian Blomberg) and Holger Meins (Stipe Erceg), but in addition, there are a ton of sub-characters that fall below the RAF hierarchy. Then you have the plethora of political figures who play their major parts as well as their relations to several other figures (like even more political leaders and family members) only in addition to the Arabian subset of RAF-helpers. But, the main 5 are really the instrumental pieces to the puzzle, and that's where the film mainly focuses.
It's also a bit difficult to tell whether you may like or dislike the altering views on the RAF; half the time, the RAF heads are made to look like gods, fighting against tyranny and oppression. Then, when looked at from the point of view of the government and average civilian, they are made to look like the most evil of the evil. Essentially, once you get attached and love any given character on the RAF side, their mortality and likability are stripped away by how the news portrays them. Personally, I found this method of character development immensely intriguing. Baader Meinhof Complex examines a lot of themes, and one of the main ones is the role of media in politics, a role that so sharply defines society.
Whether or not you actually pay attention to the subtext, you find the movie to just be a cool and slick type of film...at least for the first half. The RAF builds itself up steadily, slowly gaining new members and carrying out various acts of anti-establishment, then, in a really shocking mid-story climax, the tables are turned and their fall becomes the center of focus. Ironically, for a group that essentially poses anarchy as a way to fight the government, it is soon seen that the heads of such an anarchist group are what led it to greatness in the first place.
There seems to be virtually no real soundtrack to the film, as most moments are covered by dialogue between characters. Transitions are filled with various television and radio broadcasts, feeding the audience tidbits of information on the aftermath and reaction of/to the events that preceded them. This is a rather effect method of story-telling. The film clocks in at an overwhelming 150 minutes, which feels both too long and too short for its subject matter, so it only feels natural that they would include transitional periods coupled with forced information.
Overall, what you get in The Baader Meinhof Complex is a mixed bag that may confuse some, alienate others, but be loved by many. Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, it stands tall among American films as a striking revisiting of what could be called the base of modern terrorism. Characters are great yet far too many, the subject is intriguing, the action scenes are tense and the story is fantastic, if only a bit cluttered in some areas. Certainly worth the watch, but don't expect it to be a straight action ride; it's a good mix of intelligent political thriller with crime drama and action interspersed.
8.0/10
-Kyle Shelton
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