The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)

Thanks for the memories!

Excellent but underrated film

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Based on true events, this film follows the history of RAF, Rote Armee Fraktion, a far-left West German activist group. The movie follows the birth of the movement and the fates of its founding members: Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof and their associates.What this movie does very well is its ability to work as a spark. I can freely admit that I don't know enough about West Germany in the 60s and 70s to form an opinion about the events showcased in the movie. But I'm interested in finding out. The film is a long one, two and half hours, but it doesn't feel like that at all, thanks to excellent writing and a captivating subject matter.The actors are also top notch and their characters are written well. The film doesn't really take any sides. It focuses mostly on the RAF characters, which is something of a statement, but those characters also condemn many of the more outlandish RAF terrorist strikes as too brutal or as having too many civilian casualties. Again something of a statement.The film is highly recommended for all fans of history. It seems to take for granted that you already know something about the events portrayed, but I can safely say that it can be watched and enjoyed even with only the barest minimum of knowledge.

By 1960ies, most of Western countries had recovered from the wounds of World War II, settled down, acquired nice residences and furniture. Their children, who were tangibly provided, wanted to move beyond accepted norms and fight with injustice both internally and externally. Due to Cold War and socialist propaganda, many started to believe that Lenin, Mao, Che, Ho Chi Minh and others were / had been real "tenders" for the poor and the oppressed, hence the world revolution must be boosted...Such is the background where the Rote Armee Fraktion or RAF operated, often with fatal destruction. Most of members were probably naive and wanted to make a (fast) difference, but at least leaders got knowledge and money from e.g. Arab terrorist groups and Stasi, and when bearing in mind that "leftist" extremism has caused much more casualties than "rightist" (incl. Hitler), then I personally can't justify any violent means for improving the world - concurrently admitting that the West made at least PR and foreign policy mistakes during that period...I find the film well directed and performed, the cast is evenly strong and versatile, although Moritz Bleibtreu and Bruno Ganz were the only ones I remembered. The pace, however, is uneven: sometimes tensions fade, and the 2 hour 15 minutes film covers too long period of activities, making some events short and sketchy to comprehend. At the same time, I can realise that the filmmakers wanted to focus on members' minds and motives, to show why and how they chose the way did. Realism is still maintained (with alternating documentary scenes) and - contrary to some critics - I see no glorification of those activists, their finale is a decent warning to e.g. the youth possessing discontent with current situation in the world...

From the pov of someone only familiar with the names Baader-Meinhof and not at all informed about the group's intentions or the political context in which they worked, I found this film both fascinating and perplexing. Close to 2.5 hrs but the surprise is it could have done with being longer, the relentless action and frenetic changes of place and activity (as if the characters had been teleported from one country to another) having a dislocating effect.Some have claimed the film is shot in the manner of a documentary because of an apparent neutrality of tone, but I think a documentary would have been better structured and more informative. For a non-German there are many moments where the behaviour of the characters or official bodies is totally alien and hard to explicate. As a dramatisation it lacks a satisfying structure, the ending abrupt and no afterword on the group's legacy. I agree with another contributor that the use of mainstream pop is a bit unimaginative, unless the point is to present Baader & co. as disaffected kids who nonetheless have a pop cultural sensibility - indeed, one could interpet their actions as simply an ultraviolent but juvenile act of rebellion against patriarchy. The constant changes of scene, pop music, swearing and smoking, scenes of public nakedness: all this seems designed to capture the perceived young audience with a tiny attention span. Not wanting to risk sobriety the film chooses instead sensationalism, perhaps deliberately bypassing a truly serious-minded portrait of what must be a divisive episode in German history.The Baader-Meinhof Complex did succeed in making me curious to know more about these people and I'll be looking for a suitable book or documentary. For those looking for entertainment, the film certainly delivers startling violence and heated emotions and the group's actions are left open to interpretation, even if one ultimately longs for stronger characterisation and more time to process what's happening.

I remember the Baader-Meinhof "gang" only from the scant news reports at the time as they were presented in the U.S. press. Recently I was reading a John LeCarre novel, "Absolute Friends" and at the beginning one of the characters is involved with the democratic protests in Germany in the 60's and the names of Rudi Dutschke and Ulrike Meinhof were referred to. So having looked them up, I read a bit about them and then while reading about the RAF (Red Army Faction), I came across a reference to this film. So the film was quite arresting and engaging and provides a narrative to the events as reported over 10 years. All the events are supposedly factual.According to the film we have a group of youthful activists whose parents lived through the Nazi era and opposed Nazism, quietly opposed Nazism, and these activists were concerned that the rise of fascism in Germany and especially the U.S. was taking place and they wanted to fight for a freer more democratic world. However, the group evolves or rather devolves into violent extremists whose plans for this better world goes completely haywire.Still I found it impossible to completely dismiss their aims as "freedom fighters" though the film sort of does that, but at the same time it's impossible to embrace them as democratic political operatives who just went astray. They became murderers, unreasonable and no doubt totally crazed. Their message was clear but their means to achieve that message fit in with the insanity of the times which only allowed for either/or positions, no compromise nor clear-headed thinking and action. Their blows against the state inspired very few and certainly didn't cause the masses to rise up.As I reflect upon this film, it becomes clear that the state was far more formidable then the RAF thought it might be, and if we pay attention to current events, today it should be clear that it is even more formidable. So what we have in this film is more a cautionary tale being told than just a thrilling entertainment or a historical narrative. Cinematically speaking excellent story, great action, terrific acting and direction. Some reviewers think less of this film because there are too many characters. Perhaps. But the best thing would be to read a bit about them before viewing.