The Baader Meinhof Complex
Director: Uli Edel
Year Released: 2008
Rating: 1.5
Ideologically dubious 'biography' of the beginning days of the Red Army Faction that was started in Germany by Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), his girlfriend and a few others, with journalist Ulrike Meinhof (a very good Martina Gedeck) penning the group's manifestos. The picture wavers uncomfortably in its view of the organization, making it clear that the 'founding terrorists' of the outfit - with their driving down the highway and shooting pistols and sense of 'liberation' (no clothes! wooo!) - are somehow 'better' than the future incarnations of the RAF (and their penchant for murdering 'innocents'): whew, it's good to know that Baader and Meins and Ensslin's killing cops is 'comparatively okay' to what would follow. For a decent comparison, try envisioning a movie about Timothy McVeigh's life from his perspective ... these kinds of people are not noble, they are trying to make the world a significantly worse place. Never heard of Gramsci using explosives....
