The Baader Meinhof Complex

2008 DE Uli Edel
✰ 1/2

There's something to be said for portraying a series of based-on real life actions in chronological order; and something else entirely for showing those same actions in chronological order while also adhering to any kind of dramatic structure. Uli Edel's bright and shiny depiction of the RAF speaks only for the former: it's a chaotic mess. Big guns, loud noises, nude girls—what fun! Anyone not familiar with the history will likely get lost. Or is that the point? Since the film has nothing new, important, smart, or witty to say about its topic, perhaps confusing the audience seems the next-best effect. Politically-neutered, big budget German cream-puff that pretends to taste spicy. Original title: Der Baader Meinhof Komplex.

Murderers Are Among Us

1946 DE Wolfgang Staudte
✰✰✰ 1/2

Impressive post-war German mixture of expressionism and neo-realism, combining to form a stylish "rubble film". Shot partly in the streets, immediacy bestows power: this is what Germany ca. '46 looked like. Story is serviceable, constructed of episodes—some better, some worse—about attempts at living, re-starting life after the end of the war, among the ruins and the murderers. Guilt is the constant spectre, passing through everyone, everything. The acting(!): hypnotic and dazzling Hildegard Knef, who herself fled Soviet soldiers and spent time in a prison camp, will haunt you; the power of her intense, penetrating, emotional gaze is indescribable. Along with the outdoor cinematography, the images of her face are the film's highlights. Recommended reading: the production history is worth looking into. Original title: Die Mörder sind unter uns.