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
Jan Josef Liefers	...	Peter Homann
Nadja Uhl	...	Brigitte Mohnhaupt
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Petra Schelm
Heino Ferch	...	Horst Herold Assistant
Stipe Erceg	...	Holger Meins
Niels-Bruno Schmidt	...	Jan Carl Raspe (as Niels Bruno Schmidt)
Vinzenz Kiefer	...	Peter-Jürgen Boock
Tom Schilling	...	Josef Bachmann
Susanne Bormann	...	Peggy
Simon Licht	...	Horst Mahler
Daniel Lommatzsch	...	Christian Klar
Sebastian Blomberg	...	Rudi Dutschke

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 | History | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nadja Uhl, who plays the RAF terrorist Brigitte Mohnhaupt, also played the part of the stewardess Gabriele Dillmann in the 2008 production Mogadischu (2008). Dillmann was a crew member of the Lufthansa plane 'Landshut' which was hijacked to force the German government to release RAF terrorists from prison in 1977.

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Goofs

After Buback's assassination, his car comes to a stop facing a pole which is inconsistent with a historical photograph shown in a subsequent shot.

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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 At the Movies: Episode #24.2 (2009)

User Reviews

Mixed emotions

The movie of Edel and Eichinger is fine when it comes to sets and costumes. It seems to catch the mood of the late Sixties and Seventies very well. Also the lead actors Bleibtreu, Wokalek and Gedeck have delivered outstanding performances. Too bad, that they don't get a chance to really explore their characters: Too much else is going on in this movie, that completely loses its focus during the last hour. The closer we get to the end, the more it resembles a documentary with a few scenes of play cut in now and then.

The viewer is presented with a lot of facts - and violence - but the movie fails in decoding the often cited "myth" of the RAF. For example, I've always wondered, whether Baader was just a criminal or really politically motivated. Well, in the first half of the movie, Baader is portrayed as an outlaw, who enjoys provocation and fast cars. Later he delivers sophisticated political statements. A good movie should at least try to explain this development. DER BAADER MEINHOF KOMPLEX doesn't.

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:

EUR20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,348, 23 August 2009

Gross USA:

$476,270

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$26,937,355

Company Credits

Production Co:

Constantin Film, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min 184 min (extended cut) 160 min (2 parts) (TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SR Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1