The Baader Meinhof Complex
User Score
8.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16

Review this movie

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. PekkaP.
    Aug 22, 2009
    8
    Good flick, at times very violent, but considering the topic, what do you expect, and the violence isn't gratuitous. Excellent actors as well.
  2. RobertW.
    Aug 25, 2009
    10
    Why is this film not being produced to the public and media?
  3. Marc
    Aug 31, 2009
    4
    Well shot , and an interesting period of time, I watched this in the same weekend as Max Manus Man of war and Das Untergang all of which I found fascinating. However I never connected with any of the characters in this movie and as a result found myself willing it conclusion. Indeed a well made piece of cinema just not a very interesting experience. Its been out on DVD for months in the Uk.
  4. RainFall
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    Great film. I went into it expending some propaganda piece one way or the other but i left with thoughts similar to Hitchens about the beautiful display of blurring lines between criminality and rebellion/revolution. It's well casted, well acted. Baader seemed to be a bit over the top psychopath/sociopath, but i don't know the history well enough to know if he was really like that. The movie was very immersive and it hardly felt subtitled at all. Went in skeptical, left a fan.… Expand
  5. Nesbitt10
    Mar 11, 2013
    7
    A fascinating period piece about the creation and unraveling of the Red Army Faction (Baader-Meinhof Group). A riveting look into the mindset of the R.A.F.--essentially a terrorist group rebelling against western imperialism in Germany. An engaging and intelligent screenplay, richly-detailed, and tremendous acting across the board. That being said--the seer length and constant brutality and bloodshed mounts, making the viewing of last third of the film laborious.

    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 radicalized 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 terrorism and more blood shed, they also lose their own humanity. Uli Edel manages to get almost everything right about the Red Army Faction, but more importantly-"The Baader Meinhof Complex" is visually riveting and emotionally overwhelming. Edel propels the complex narrative and its myriad ricochets, and, shockingly, it all holds together for the most part. My overall impression is very well-done period piece, but "The Baader-Meinhof Complex" is diluted by too many events, with too many characters, distributed over too much time.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Empire
    Reviewed by: Kim Newman
    80
    Fascinating history, very good movie -- but demanding, and its lack of easy answers will frustrate some. Lessons about 21st century terrorism are implicit, but not overly stressed.
    Read full review
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Bonnie J. Gordon
    90
    A long but powerful true-life drama of 1970s German terrorists features masterful storytelling and bravura performances.
    Read full review
  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Boyd van Hoeij
    50
    An explosive performance by Johanna Wokalek gives some relief to an otherwise long and humdrum series of characters.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »