Review #146: 'The Baader Meinhof Complex' (2008)

The late 1960's and early 1970's were a turbulent time throughout the world. Protests raged in nearly every major city, against American Imperialism; their occupation of Vietnam, and the middle-east situation, and the fight of the Palestinians; and of course civil rights. In West Germany, Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedek) is a journalist who is disillusioned that her published writing is not effecting change. She begins to get involved in the left-wing politics of the (mostly student) protesters. After discovering that her husband is having an affair, she takes of with their two daughters and joins the 'cause' full-time.

Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu) and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek) are living a pseudo-bohemian lifestyle after being released from prison for arson on a department store. They are also recruiting refugees of the right-wing police state they are living in; political prisoners, and runaways from homes/prisons. On their return to West Germany, Baader and Ensslin stay with Meinhof and she becomes part of the Red Faction Army (RAF). After some Iranian training, they begin a series of bank robberies, then begin bombing German Authorities property and US military sites located throughout Germany.

This results in the 'founding members' all being incarcerated. The film proceeds with a trial that is made a mockery of and the growth of the RAF (whilst Baader/Meinhof/Ensslin are imprisoned and falling apart as they break each other down psychologically, bickering) outside, whose violence escalates, and the concern of the 'Innocent by-stander' looses any meaning. This was a massive terrorist campaign that was to be titled German Autumn. It was a few years after the debacle of German authorities, in the handling of the terrorist hostage situation at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and this was an opportunity to show that they have learned from their mistakes, so the response is severe.

Directed by Uli Edel (Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989), Body of Evidence (1993)), displays some of his common themes in the terrorist group. He often parallels sex and violence; how closely entwined the two things often are in reality (but most often in art). The film is at times exciting and thrilling; it represents the facts of the story well without heavy exposition. The characters represent the generation after the end of World War 2. These were the children of the Nazi's. What these people saw in American Imperialism (which we are still living with today), is that it is intrinsically fascistic in it's blind "democratic" view-point of world domination. Perhaps more politically motivated, the characters often become almost incomplete. The RAF were often portrayed quite sympathetically, despite that fact that some of the acts were seemingly motivated with death in mind. In the real event the Baader-Meinhof Gang were almost celebrated by the German people much in the same way that Dillinger or Bonnie and Clyde were in the prohibition era America. But apart from the few lags in narrative, this was an entertaining crime drama.


Directed by: Uli Edel
Starring: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek
Country: Germany/France/Czech Republic

Rating: ****

Marc Ivamy