The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)

A look at Germany's terrorist group, The Red Army Faction (RAF), which organized bombings, robberies, kidnappings and assassinations in the late 1960s and '70s.

Director:

Uli Edel

Writers:

Bernd Eichinger (screenplay), Uli Edel (screenplay collaborator)

Stars:

Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Martina Gedeck	...	Ulrike Meinhof
Moritz Bleibtreu	...	Andreas Baader
Johanna Wokalek	...	Gudrun Ensslin
Nadja Uhl	...	Brigitte Mohnhaupt
Stipe Erceg	...	Holger Meins
Niels-Bruno Schmidt	...	Jan Carl Raspe (as Niels Bruno Schmidt)
Vinzenz Kiefer	...	Peter-Jürgen Boock
Simon Licht	...	Horst Mahler
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Petra Schelm
Daniel Lommatzsch	...	Christian Klar
Sebastian Blomberg	...	Rudi Dutschke
Heino Ferch	...	Horst Herold Assistant
Jan Josef Liefers	...	Peter Homann
Hannah Herzsprung	...	Susanne Albrecht
Tom Schilling	...	Josef Bachmann

Storyline

Germany in the 1970s: Murderous bomb attacks, the threat of terrorism and the fear of the enemy inside are rocking the very foundations of the yet fragile German democracy. The radicalised children of the Nazi generation lead by Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof and Gudrun Ensslin are fighting a violent war against what they perceive as the new face of fascism: American imperialism supported by the German establishment, many of whom have a Nazi past. Their aim is to create a more human society but by employing inhuman means they not only spread terror and bloodshed, they also lose their own humanity. The man who understands them is also their hunter: the head of the German police force Horst Herold. And while he succeeds in his relentless pursuit of the young terrorists, he knows he's only dealing with the tip of the iceberg.

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Plot Keywords:

terrorist | terrorism | brutality | criminal gang | police brutality | 

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Taglines:

The children of the Nazi generation vowed fascism would never rule their world again.

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Genres:

Action | Biography | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing images, sexual content, graphic nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Metropolitan Films [France] Official site [Germany]

Country:

Germany France Czech Republic

Language:

German English French Swedish Arabic

Release Date:

25 September 2008 (Germany)

Also Known As:

The Baader Meinhof Complex

Filming Locations:

Bavaria-Ateliers, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

€20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,687,119 (Germany), 28 September 2008, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,348, 21 August 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$476,270, 6 December 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Constantin Film, Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF), G.T. Film Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min 184 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SR Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ex-terrorist Brigitte Mohnhaupt, who was released on probation in the spring of 2008 after 24 years in jail, took the production company Constantin to court for the sex scene, demanding that it be deleted. A Hamburg court dismissed the suit in December 2008.

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Goofs

The FEG P9R pistol used by Petra Schelm wasn't invented until ten years after she was killed.

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Quotes

Ulrike Meinhof: If you throw a stone, it's a crime. If a thousand stones are thrown, that's political. If you set fire to a car it's a crime; if a hundred cars are set on fire that's political.

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Connections

Featured in Guinness World Records - Die größten Weltrekorde: Episode #5.1 (2008)

User Reviews

Necessary

First of all this is a very important film. Just like the other "Big" film by Eichinger "Der Untergang" it confronts the German audience (and the world should it care) with some aspect of German history that people should know about. In this case the "myth" of the RAF. To everyone who lived through the seventies in Germany it is clear that the influence of the RAF on Germany can hardly be exaggerated. I was a kid but my impression at the time was that both sides were wrong. There was a constant fear of terror coming from the terrorists but also from the state. (People did not get jobs if it was suspected they were "left".) So to make a blockbuster film, even if it does not really explain the motives of the main characters involved, at least gives us some facts. Not everyone is prepared to watch documentaries or read the book by Aust, but everyone should have some thoughts or maybe discussions on the subject.

Okay, but does it succeed as a film? Not entirely. The actors as everyone agrees were excellent, the cinematography as well. You do think you are in the seventies. That in itself is amazing. The action scenes are done splendidly, especially at the beginning the riots during the visit of the Persian Shah which culminated in the shooting of a student which in turn was, at least to some extent, the origin of the rise of terror. Of course the film is episodic and there are too many characters in it, most of them are not introduced in any way and ten years of complex history cannot be told in an altogether satisfying way. But the film succeeds in giving us a sense of what was going on. The producer, Bernd Eichinger has been accused of vanity. Which is a funny thing. Of course, he is vain. He has the duty to be vain as long as he also feels a responsibility to make movies that try to tell something. And the challenge, he feels, is to say it to as many people as possible.