The Baader Meinhof Complex
2008 · Movie · R · 149 min · ★ 7.0 · 81% critics
After a protest is violently shut down, a disillusioned journalist abandons her old life and is drawn into a radical political circle in late-1960s West Germany. As the group hardens its beliefs, it turns to robberies, bombings, and escalating attacks, forcing a tense confrontation between revolutionary ideals and the human cost of violence.
Based on Baader-Meinhof group
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Details
- Original title
- Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
- Years
- 2008
- Release date
- 2008-09-25
- Language
- German
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 149 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 81/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.0/10 (656 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a fast-moving, hard-hitting true-events thriller about political radicalization and terrorism; Not for you if you avoid sustained violence, bleak subject matter, or lengthy, event-packed stories like World on Fire.
Pros: gripping, intense momentum; strong performances; vivid historical recreation | Cons: very long runtime; uneven focus later; politics feel one-sided
Themes
- suicide
- 1970s
- hostage-taking
- trial
- prison escape
- terrorism
- terrorist plot
- government cover-up
- government conspiracy
- leftist radicalism
- criminal trial
- escape from prison
- +1 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 2009 · nominated
- European Film Academy Prix d'Excellence · 2009 · nominated
- European Film Award — Best Actor · 2009 · nominated
- European Film Award – People's Choice Award — Best European Film · 2009 · nominated
- International Submission to the Academy Awards · 2009 · nominated
Cast & crew
Martina Gedeck
as Ulrike Meinhof
Moritz Bleibtreu
as Andreas Baader
Johanna Wokalek
as Gudrun Ensslin
Nadja Uhl
as Brigitte Mohnhaupt
Stipe Erceg
as Holger Meins
Niels-Bruno Schmidt
as Jan Karl Raspe
Vinzenz Kiefer
as Peter-Jürgen Boock
Simon Licht
as Horst Mahler
Alexandra Maria Lara
as Petra Schelm
Bruno Ganz
as Horst Herold
Directed by Uli Edel