The Baader-Meinhof Complex [DVD]

The Baader-Meinhof Complex is a historically faithful and visually pleasing film about an extreme left-wing militant group that began at the end of the 1960s. Director Uli Edell provides important details about the reasons for the militancy and the different ways that the Baader-Meinhof militants wrought violent disruption of West German society while tapping into the older generation's unresolved issues from its Nazi past. Edell at once portrays the militants as committed, oftentimes ruthless fighters, demonstrating that these individuals were not victims, but rather, people who were willing to stop at nothing to achieve their goals of breaking what they viewed as the complacency and terror of the West German state that had evolved far too little from its Nazi past. It is vital however, to investigate further than Edell's remarkable film, to gauge the extent and scope of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon by looking through a couple of scholarly works on this important passage in recent German history. Baader-Meinhof Returns: History and Cultural Memory of German Left-Wing Terrorism (German Monitor) and Bringing the War Home: The Weather Underground, the Red Army Faction, and Revolutionary Violence in the Sixties and Seventies will shed light on these events in a more detailed and careful fashion. This is not to imply in any way that the film is incorrect or unhelpful. On the contrary, it is well worth seeing both for its cinematic value--telling a good story with strong characterization, great camera and editing work, etc-- as well as its historiographical input on a troubling, oftentimes puzzling, but nevertheless remarkable era in modern western history.

I’ve loved this film since I first watched it on Netflix around 2011. Since IFC has the rights to it, you won’t see it unless you pay for yet another streaming service or you can just buy the Blu-ray. The transfer here is near reference quality. Extremely film like and looks fantastic on my LG C8 OLED. This is one of the best films I’ve seen dealing with this early terrorist/anti-imperialist resistance (depending on how you view the world) period along with the excellent French made “Carlos The Jackal.” The cast is comprised of two of the finest German actors around in Gedeck and Bleibtreu and it remains highly entertaining until the third act which just isn’t as engaging as the majority of the film. Sound quality (DTS HD MA) is as good as the picture quality for this sort of movie. Finally I personally don’t buy the official version of events. I’m not going to spoil anything but others who know the story or have seen the film will know what I’m referring to.

Yes,this was an interesting film.But,yet another one that still focuses on the terrorist dramas,rather than the group itself.The tag of 'Baader-Meinhof' is a misnomer.It really should have been ,'Baader-Eisseln'.I wished the film was told similar to the 1967 film,'Bonnie and Clyde'. This film was lacking the character development,to give the viewer reason to care.Many of the events were glossed over,to cram the film into two and a half hours.Their political objectives were also ,in the background,of this quasi-documentary.This film hits the nail on the head with the fact, that this group of aging 'halbstarkers',were a group of hoppel-de-poppel anarchists.The german version of the Manson family.Where eveything was peace and love,in the beginning.The ringleaders were rounded-up,the bellicose bellwethers locked up.And later,violence to potential defectors hung over the heads ,of the group's leftovers.The remaining radicals were already so alienated from normal society,they had nothing to lose.The irony with the RAF and the Manson family also,is that they were considered political inspired.But really,they both had a very weak understanding society,family and governmental operations.I think if Marx and Engels had met them ,they would have seen them as intellectually inferior people.And Mao and Stalin would have seen them as physically lazy and unattentive to strict principles of true revolutionary warfare.Atheists,communists and anarchists have little regard for the environment and their fellow humans.The moslims have 'Allah' and the christians have 'Jesus'.The RAF had no idols to worship,perhaps later only the Baader-Meinhof martyres. So these kids read a few leftist books,they dabbled in mischief.The film gives an entertaining tabloid version of the Baader-Meinhof gruppa.But,I think a half hour could have been added showing the transition from a hippi-beatnik tribe into an agitated anti-social maelstrom of chaos.The closing of the film,shows the disgust of the imprisoned urban guerrillas,and their alledged suicides,after learning the outcome of the failed sky-jacking episode.I have seen the real death photos of the Baader-Meinhof crew.It appeared they were murdered,rather than being suicides.Their eyes looked black-circled,from beatings.It may have been self-inflicted,from sleep deprevation.I think the guards were finished with their circus nonsense and trouble-making,day in and day out.The truth may never be fully known.The RAF activities was a sad chapter,in modern German history.The RAF caused more trouble and problems,than had solved for Germany.And such issues as,global warming and chemical pollution,completely ignored by the RAF.The Baader-Meinhof group made their chief mistake by focusing on the bankers and high-lawers.The bankers and state-lawers are instruments of the state-government,controlled by the jews.I don't think the Baader-Meinhof gang had the organisational preserverence to fully change the state government and install a functioning new working leadership.When you see this film,there are some interesting points,yet not very in-depth.I hope to see a film one day,on the subject of 'Baader-Meinhof',that tells the full story.

This movie brings the late 60's, early 70's political swirl of Germany to life. The Baeder Meinhof group was very similar to the Weather Underground in the U.S., but even more violent. I grew up in the 1960's and heard a lot about the Weather Underground, but virtually nothing about the Baeder Meinhof group, so the film was very educational for me. The tragedy of idealism perverted into violence was similar in both groups, however. The film is expertly cast and moves along in a tense, fast-paced fashion. I highly recommend this film to viewers who want an insight into what the most violent of the young people of Germany tried to achieve. It is also an object lesson in the failure of violence as a tool of social change. Finally, this film also provides an insight into the genesis of modern political terrorism, a movement that still bedevils the world today.

A must for High school seniors who care about the outside world! Like Germany for instance: Tragedy hit this nation in the years of the Red Army Fraction terror, the 'red' 1970s, culminating with the group of smart, cool but practically crazy, cynical intellectuals falling apart, morally, mentally and with fighting fatigue and post traumatic stress, chased and isolated by a nation in a state of fear and denial. Learn German the tough way - click the subtitles away as you get better at this essential language, which is the tongue whom sublime Goethe as well as sick Adolf spoke. And...das is gut! Get this movie - you won't regret it. Highly recommended by your's truly. PS The interviews are very important and highly interesting, I was deeply touched (I was a little kid myself when the group had it's 'fun' and never understood why they killed people - now I do. And I understand contemporary terror better now as well... ). Ulrik Rosenstand Denmark

An outstanding film of the radical Left in postwar Germany. It is very well made, and appears researched and objective. It is a film which requires more than one viewing, and is interesting to watch the metamophysis of the Baader-Meinhof outfit from the original members as compared to their later recruits. It is interesting to think that the Baader-Meinhof crew could have existed for so long in the BRD, as they would not have had a snowflakes' chance of survival in the Germany of their parents. A very absorbing film on politics and terrorism.

The movie was very interesting, and I remember the time very well...I was in college then. It was also infuriating, since the left-wing politics of the Baader-Meinhof gang was so disjointed and misguided. They thought the current German government was Fascist and reborn Nazism...yet nothing could be further from the truth. Capitalism is NOT fascism, and Germany was NOT Nazi anymore. Baader, Meinhof, Raspe and Ensslin (along with their friends) were nothing more than violent political murderers. I wished it had shown how the Soviet KGB aided the so-called "leftist student movement,", but no movie is perfect. The actors were all very believable and did a great job conveying the story.

I grew up in Germany during that time, but was to young to understand it all. I remember hearing things on the news or driving by the prison in Stuttgart Stammheim. I remember them being buried at a cemetery across the road from the cemetery that my mom would take me too to visit the grave of a friend that was buried there.