The Baader Meinhof Complex

The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008) is a fascinating political drama. Depicting one of the more infamous left-wing terrorist groups of the '70s - the German Red Army Faction, aka the Baader-Meinhof Gang - it eschews editorializing, depicting the terrorists as young, reckless, ideologically-motivated and extremely dangerous thugs.

West Germany in the early '70s. A demonstration against the Shah of Iran turns violent when police side with Iranian students and attack the demonstrators. Along with an assassination attempt against leftist Rudi Dutschke (Sebastian Blomberg), this convinces a clique of left-wing malcontents - including young lovers Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu) and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek) and journalist Ulrike Meinhoff (Martina Gedeck) - that West Germany is no better than the Nazis. They form the Red Army Faction, engaging in a wide range of terrorist activities, from assassinations and bombings to bank robbery and kidnapping. Even after the original gang members are killed or jailed, a new "generation" of terrorists escalates the violence.

The Baader Meinhof Complex does excellent job of exploring the nuances of terrorism. The movie shows us the environment which created the RAF - the time of Vietnam and radical demonstrations across the world - but doesn't excuse or endorse their actions. Perfectly-crafted montages contrast the RAF's lofty rhetoric with the consequences of their actions - destroyed buildings, killed and maimed victims. Certainly, it's unnerving that a democratic state like West Germany could resort to fascist methods towards dissenters. More unnerving still, however, is the RAF, a group with no program beyond violent nihilism, who nonetheless gain wide public support.

The RAF were better organized, and certainly more successful, than American equivalents like the Weathermen and the Symbionese Liberation Army. But the movie shows them as, essentially, rowdy spoiled-brats with guns. Baader and his buddies fire guns during a joy ride, steal cars for fun, bicker childishly and treat their training in Jordan as a vacation. Their radical leftism seems a fig leaf for more personal motivations, particularly in Meinhoff's case; her failed marriage spurs her into collusion with the young hotheads. It's the generation gap turned into open warfare.

The movie's one weakness is the subplot with government official Horst Herold (Bruno Ganz). In these scenes, we're treated to a lot of hand-wringing by well-intentioned but clueless adults, demanding that we find the "root causes" of RAF terrorism. This might be okay, except we never get such an exploration, either by the film or the characters themselves, and these scenes appear unnecessary.

Perhaps the film's point is that the causes are beyond understanding - there are injustices in West Germany, but surely nothing to warrant machine-gunning officials to death. And nothing short of a global revolution will satiate the likes of the RAF anyway. Their ideology may well be sincere, but its practicality and morality are highly questionable, as the film shows. The film leaves it up to the viewers to decide, and a more left-leaning writer than myself will likely have a different perspective.

Uli Edel (Last Exit to Brooklyn) provides excellent direction throughout. The shootouts and bombings are perfectly staged, the movie is beautifully shot by Rainier Klausmann, and as mentioned above, Alexander Berner's use of montage and editing is exquisite. There's also a nice, driving score by Peter Hindertuhr and Florian Tessloff.

The cast couldn't be better. Martina Gedeck (The Good Shepherd) is excellent, channelling her personal resentment and indecision into a political cause. A cotiere of young German talent - Moritz Bleibtreu (Munich), Johanna Wokalek, Katharina Wackernagel, Alexandra Maria Lara (Downfall) - shines as the principal terrorists. Bruno Ganz (Downfall) gets rather a thankless role.

The Baader Meinhof Complex is a truly great film, and one of the best of the last decade. If it leaves some questions unanswered, it's certainly to it's credit; the RAF is not subject to easy classification, except as a bloody tragedy for all involved.