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The Baader Meinhof Complex Review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 4.0
    76

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Generally favorable reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 50

    out of 100

    Variety

    An explosive performance by Johanna Wokalek gives some relief to an otherwise long and humdrum series of characters.

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  • 58

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    For two and a half hours, Edel lays out the bombings, kidnappings, and murders committed by the Baader-Meinhof group, which mutated into the RAF. He catches the violently delusional self-righteousness of their antifascist fervor, but as individuals these cultish guerrillas remain opaque.

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  • 63

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    The film would have benefitted by being less encompassing and focusing on a more limited number of emblematic characters -- Meinhof and Herold, for starters.

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  • 80

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

    A fascinating hybrid of a film. Even though its purpose couldn't be more serious, its style could hardly be more pulp.

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  • 90

    out of 100

    The New York Times Manohla Dargis

    A taut, unnerving, forcefully unromantic fictional film.

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  • 90

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter

    A long but powerful true-life drama of 1970s German terrorists features masterful storytelling and bravura performances.

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  • See all The Baader Meinhof Complex reviews at Metacritic.com

Fan Reviews provided by

4

THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX IDEALISTIC CHAOS by jersalmon
Kudos to the producers/directors for takling on such a topic at this time. For me the movie lacked some depth and it was a little drawn out. Still, with this in mind, the history is accurate and well worth seeing. Superb acting performances. The film reminds me of the recent student demonstrations in Iran and the underlying plays of politics. Meinhoff being a journalist with a conscience, Baader being a glorified "nutter", the film left me feeling almost sorry for Meinhoff as her insight was good, she just stepped too far in a negative direction ending in her own destruction. Never a good move. For what? She could have used her journalistic prowess to achieve more. The film is quite "telling" in it's protrayal of politics then and now, the usual suspects, idealistic or angry uni. students being roused by foreign underlying powers.Interesting in that the group grew more radical after Meinhoff/Baader were jailed, reminiscent of the Shining Path who appear to be making a comeback.

4

A Film to See by FilmGirlNYC
The Baader Meinhof Complex documents an important time in history. A must see. It's 2.5 hours long so drink a strong cup of coffee before you go into the theater!

4

Which Side Are We On? by spamtrap
The Baader Meinhof Complex is about a German terrorist organization that operated from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s. During this time frame I was a child and recall many of the events from the film being discussed on television news programs. My child's mind never fully understood these events so I enjoyed this film for clearing up the details I missed in my youth. I just hope it's historically accurate. If you weren't there you really never know who's telling the whole truth about what happened. This German terrorist group, the Red Army Faction, claimed to be fighting fascism. But they trained with Muslim terrorists (early Al Queda?) and seemed more self-serving than fighting for a cause. They murdered judges and attorneys who prosecuted them. One can't help wondering, which side were these people really on? In any case, this is a well done dramatic action film that holds your interest and gives you something to think about.

4

imperfect but still well done and intriguing. by acg3dijnst
I thought it was quite good. it definitely held my attention for the 2-1/4 hour running time. The movie treads a blurry line between documentary and action drama, and tries to flesh out some very enigmatic personalities (there are no recorded interviews with Baader or Ennslin), and the film mostly succeeds, although one is still left with doubts about what ultimately led Ulrike Meinhof to leave her life as a "champagne Marxist" journalist & go underground. Some characters, particularly that of Brigitte Monhaupt, the leader of the 2nd generation, and a particularly sinister and intriguing personality, are not developed to a satisfactory degree. The argument is that the scope of the film necessarily needed to be limited to the leaders of the 1st generation. The film tries to depict them as humans without romanticizing them. Ultimately the film does not tell you what you should think of them, or what lessons the audience is to draw for modern times.

4

Baader Meinhof by lgordon
well constructed and gripping. but the politics of the film tend to associate this tiny minority of violent "revolutionaries" with the whole New Left student movement--quite a distortion.

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