Der Baader Meinhof Komplex

Infobox Film
name = Der Baader Meinhof Komplex


image_size = 200px
caption = Theatrical release poster for "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex"
director = Uli Edel
producer = Bernd Eichinger
writer = Uli Edel
Bernd Eichinger
based on the book by Stefan Aust
narrator =
starring = Moritz Bleibtreu
Martina Gedeck
Johanna Wokalek
Nadja Uhl
Simon Licht
Alexandra Maria Lara
Bruno Ganz
Karoline Herfurth
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Constantin Film
released = Germany: September 25, 2008
UK: November 15, 2008
runtime = 150 min.
country = Germany
language = German
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.bmk.film.de
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0765432

The Baader Meinhof Complex (original German: "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex") is a 2008 German film directed by Uli Edel and starring Moritz Bleibtreu, Martina Gedeck and Johanna Wokalek. The film is based on the non-fiction book by Stefan Aust and retells the early years of the West German terrorist group Red Army Faction (RAF), which was the most active and prominent terrorist group in postwar West Germany.

Plot

The film retells the the early years of the West German terrorist group Red Army Faction (RAF) and concentrates on the RAF from its beginnings in 1967/1968 at the time of the German student movement to the German Autumn in 1977.

Production

The film was produced since August 2007 by the film producer Bernd Eichinger. It was shot at several locations, including Berlin, Munich, Stammheim Prison, Rome and Morocco. The film was subsidized by several film boards to the sum of 6.5 million Euro.

Cast

* Martina Gedeck as Ulrike Meinhof
* Moritz Bleibtreu as Andreas Baader
* Johanna Wokalek as Gudrun Ensslin
* Bruno Ganz as Horst Herold
* Stipe Erceg as Holger Meins
* Jan Josef Liefers as Peter Homann
* Alexandra Maria Lara as Petra Schelm
* Nadja Uhl as Brigitte Mohnhaupt
* Simon Licht as Horst Mahler
* Hannah Herzsprung as Susanne Albrecht
* Vinzenz Kiefer as Peter-Jurgen Boock
* Daniel Lommatzsch as Christian Klar
* Niels-Bruno Schmidt as Jan Carl Raspe
* Katherina Wackernagel as Astrid Proll
* Annika Kuhl as Irmgard Moller

Distribution and response

The film had its premiere on September 15, 2008 in Munich. It was commercially released in Germany on September 25, 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.zeit.de/news/artikel/2008/09/15/2615136.xml|title=Kino: Premiere für "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex"|date=2008-09-15|publisher=Die Zeit|language=German|accessdate=2008-09-15] The film was chosen as Germany's official submission to the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. [cite web|url=http://www.german-films.de/app/news/news_view.php?pressrelease_id=714|title=The Baader Meinhof Complex to represent Germany in the race for the Academy Award|last=Kaufmann|first=Nicole|date=2008-09-16|publisher=German Films|accessdate=2008-09-16]
Michael Buback, the son of former chief federal prosecutor Siegfried Buback, who was assassinated by the RAF in 1977, doubted that the film seriously tries to expose the historical truth, although he had not seen the movie when he mentioned this concern. [cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/0,1518,578833,00.html|title=Schelte von Buback, Lob von Schleyer|date=2008-09-17|publisher=Der Spiegel|language=German|accessdate=2008-09-17] He later corrected this statement to some degree but pointed out that the film almost exclusively concentrates on portraying the perpetrators with a certain danger of too much identification. [cite web|url=http://www.welt.de/kultur/article2469200/Buback-Sohn-sieht-im-RAF-Drama-einen-Taeter-Film.html|title=Buback-Sohn sieht im RAF-Drama einen Täter-Film |date=2008-09-20|publisher=Die Welt|language=German|accessdate=2008-09-30]

Protesting against the historically "distorted" and "almost completely false" depiction of the RAF's assassination of Jürgen Ponto, his widow and witness Ignes Ponto returned her Federal Cross of Merit, because she views the German government, which co-produced the film through various film funds, as jointly responsible for the "public humiliations" suffered by her and her family. Representing the family, her daughter Corinna Ponto called the film's transgression into their privacy "false" and "perfidious". [cite web|url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/172/313080/text/|title=In geschmacklosester Weise – Streit um "Baader-Meinhof-Komplex"|date=2008-10-07|publisher=Sueddeutsche Zeitung Online|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-07]

Jörg Schleyer, the son of the assasinated manager and president of the German employers at that time Hanns Martin Schleyer, however said the movie was a great film that finally depicted the RAF as what it actually was, "a merciless, unfeeling gang of murderers". Commenting on the blatant depiction of violence he said, "Only a movie like this can show young people how brutal and bloodthirsty the RAF's actions were at that time." [cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/0,1518,578833,00.html|title=Schelte von Buback, Lob von Schleyer|date=2008-09-17|publisher=Der Spiegel|language=German|accessdate=2008-09-17]

Hollywood Reporter gave the film a favourable review, [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?rid=11754] praising the acting and storytelling, but also noting a lack of character development in certain parts. A mixed review with similar criticism was published in "Variety". [cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117938504.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|author=Boyd van Hoeij|title=New Int'l Release: "The Baader Meinhof Complex"|date=2008-09-25|publisher=Variety (online)|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-10] Fionnuala Halligan of "Screen International" praised the film's excellent production value as well as the efficient and crisp translation of a fascinating topic to film, but criticized that the plot flatlines emotionally and doesn't hold any dramatic suspense for historically initiated viewers. [cite web|url=http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=41050|author=Fionnuala Halligan|title=The Baader Meinhof Complex (Das [sic!] Baader Meinhof Complex [sic!] )|date=2008-09-26|publisher=Screen International|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-10]

References

Bibliography

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External links

* [http://www.bmk.film.de Official site]
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