loading loading...

The Baader-Meinhof Complex Details

2008 Certificate 18
  • 70
  • from 11,730 members

Set against a backdrop of violent political upheaval and social unrest, THE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEX explores the fine line between activism and extremism. It's the 1970s and Germany is a hub of terrorist activity. A group of radicalised left-wing youths, opposed to what they perceive to be the new face of fascism, form a .. Read more

Starring Martina Gedeck, Bruno Ganz, Hannah Herzsprung, Alexandra Maria Lara
Director Uli Edel
Genres Drama, Drama, World Cinema

loading loading...

The Baader-Meinhof Complex

Set against a backdrop of violent political upheaval and social unrest, THE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEX explores the fine line between activism and extremism. It's the 1970s and Germany is a hub of terrorist activity. A group of radicalised left-wing youths, opposed to what they perceive to be the new face of fascism, form a resistance movement to rid the country of unwelcome imperialist influence. However, it is often said that one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist, so the viewer is left to decide whether these aren't simply criminals who have hijacked an ideology to legitimise their cause. Led by Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck), and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek), the group, calling itself the Red Army Faction, unleashes a wave of murderous bombings on the German capital that threatens to destabilise the country's fledgling democracy. But in their zeal to impose their own vision for a better Germany, and by employing terror tactics, the youths lose sight of the very thing they're fighting for. Hot on their trail is chief of police Horst Herold (Bruno Ganz), a man who understands the extremist mindset only too well and who will stop at nothing to end their reign of terror.
Director Uli Edel assembles an impressive cast for this adaptation of Stefan Aust's non-fiction book. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2009 Academy Awards.

Starring Martina Gedeck, Bruno Ganz, Hannah Herzsprung, Alexandra Maria Lara, Moritz Bleibtreu, Nadja Uhl, Johanna Wokalek, Karoline Herfurth
Director Uli Edel
Studio MOMENTUM PICTURES
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 25 mins
Certificate Certificate 18
Collections 100 Hot Hits, 100 Most Wanted, Most Watched Trailers
Genres Drama, Drama, World Cinema
Language DVD: German
Hearing-impaired English
Subtitles DVD: English
Released DVD: 20 Apr 2009
Production year: 2008
  • Critics' reviews (6) of The Baader-Meinhof Complex

    View all
  • Spiralling tensions between Meinhof and Ensslin exert a morbid fascination... The film gives us the complexity of a terrorist cell and how it operates... thoroughly researched and directed with integrity

    • The Times
  • 3 stars out of

    Strange to say, for a movie pitched as an extended historical action-adventure, director Uli Edels equally... read more on Time Out

    • Wally Hammond, 
    • Time Out
  • Most helpful member's review of The Baader-Meinhof Complex

    View all
  • 79 out of 80 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars

    Baader-Meinhof Complex

    This film will chill you to the bone. No pulled punches, graffic detail of violence. You soon forget it is in German. The use of news coverage woven into the ... more

      • A customer from West Linton
  • Most recent members' review of The Baader-Meinhof Complex

    View all
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 4.0 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Well made in a clinical German kind of way

    Pretty absorbing study of the notorious 60s/70s German terror cell that doesn't feel 2hrs 20mins long, but their motivation nevertheless remains a little ... more

  • Image gallery

    View all
  • More like this

    View all

Rating breakdown

11,730 Member ratings
  • 100
819
  • 90
743
  • 80
3,173
  • 70
2,818
  • 60
2,230
  • 50
830
  • 40
608
  • 30
179
  • 20
216
  • 10
114

Related user collection

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop


    • The Baader-Meinhof Complex
    • DVD: £4.93
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £17.79 (you save: 72%)
    • Set against a backdrop of violent political upheaval and social unrest, THE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEX explores the fine line between activism and extremism. It's the 1970s and Germany is a hub of ...