It's been a parade of dramatized documentaries for me: Gomorrah, Il Divo, Che
and now, MBC. All of these are more than competent, but none not quite enough to bring home the Palme d'Or, the Oscar or the Golden Globe.
In a very early scene in BMC, which is about the German Red Army Faction (RAF) from 1967 to 1977, you are privy to an unflinching look at the violence of the establishment which makes you think, for a moment, that it roots for the course of the radical students and intellectuals. But the further you get into the movie, the more convinced you are that the movie makers do not have it anywhere in their agenda, not even as an afterthought, any intention of justifying the course of ANYBODY. Vengeance heaping upon vengeance, violence provoking more violence, it erodes you sympathy relentlessly until you don't really give a (you-fill-in-the-blank).
The movie revolves around the story of the three main characters. Journalist and mother Ulrike Meinhof is played by Martina Gedeck who, despite her work in recent Oscar-winning "The lives of others" (2006), is still remember best by many for her role is Martha Klein "Mostly Martha" (2001). The other woman in the trio is a rebellious daughter of a pastor, Gudrun Ensslin, played by Johanna Wokalek. Most erratic and eccentric is Ensslin's boyfriend Andreas Baader, played by Moritz Bleibtreu who has some exposure to the global audience with his appearance in Spielberg's "Munich" (2005) After their arrest, and throughout the long period of imprisonment and trial, more characters emerged, other radicals attempting to secure their release, through terrorism. While you may start deploring the sometimes senseless violence of Baader, it is this very character that tells you (or the German authorities, to be exact) that the second and third generations are much worse. And he is absolutely right as you soon find out.
In trying to stay on a steady course of being objective and factual, this movie suffers from becoming somewhat enigmatic, even elusive. As a skilfully crafted, action-packed and exciting cinematic adventure, it scores high. As an educational experience of recent history, it is also recommended.
In a very early scene in BMC, which is about the German Red Army Faction (RAF) from 1967 to 1977, you are privy to an unflinching look at the violence of the establishment which makes you think, for a moment, that it roots for the course of the radical students and intellectuals. But the further you get into the movie, the more convinced you are that the movie makers do not have it anywhere in their agenda, not even as an afterthought, any intention of justifying the course of ANYBODY. Vengeance heaping upon vengeance, violence provoking more violence, it erodes you sympathy relentlessly until you don't really give a (you-fill-in-the-blank).
The movie revolves around the story of the three main characters. Journalist and mother Ulrike Meinhof is played by Martina Gedeck who, despite her work in recent Oscar-winning "The lives of others" (2006), is still remember best by many for her role is Martha Klein "Mostly Martha" (2001). The other woman in the trio is a rebellious daughter of a pastor, Gudrun Ensslin, played by Johanna Wokalek. Most erratic and eccentric is Ensslin's boyfriend Andreas Baader, played by Moritz Bleibtreu who has some exposure to the global audience with his appearance in Spielberg's "Munich" (2005) After their arrest, and throughout the long period of imprisonment and trial, more characters emerged, other radicals attempting to secure their release, through terrorism. While you may start deploring the sometimes senseless violence of Baader, it is this very character that tells you (or the German authorities, to be exact) that the second and third generations are much worse. And he is absolutely right as you soon find out.
In trying to stay on a steady course of being objective and factual, this movie suffers from becoming somewhat enigmatic, even elusive. As a skilfully crafted, action-packed and exciting cinematic adventure, it scores high. As an educational experience of recent history, it is also recommended.