The Baader-Meinhof Complex Reviews

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 action gives it a true reality that makes is impact more vivid. Wonderful movie, you should watch it!

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[Highly rated reviewer]

The Baader-Meinhof Complex

poor film, only realised film was subtitled once arrived, subtitles to small and go off screen to fast, unless you have 20/20 vision avoide this poor poor film, i would advise you read the description properly!!!

Mind the subtitles

An enjoyable film, slightly spoilt by the very small and difficult to follow subtitles.

Ruined by subtitles

I watch countless foreign-language films with subtitles, and have never experienced a problem. But the subtitles on this film were so tiny that they were very difficult to read at all, and their size meant that you had to concentrate on them to take them in, to the extent that you couldn't simultaneously watch the film. This ruined the experience for me.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Spoiled by subtitles

I really wanted to watch this film, but found the small and often barely visible subtitles stopped any chance of enjoyment. I'm normally fine with subtitles and watch a lot of foreign film, but the subtitles here made me give up rapidly.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Freedom fighters or Terrorists?

This film is a stark, brutal telling of the true story of the Baarder Meinhof Gang or Rote Armee Fraktion ( Red Army Faction) as they called themselves.

A violent left wing group in the late 1960s and 70s, from West Germany, who claimed to want to rid Germany of new facism. Their Targets were the Police and Legal system, that pursued(or persecuted according to which side you were on) them. Also opposed to American involvement in Vietnam, they attacked US bases within West Germany.

Perhaps the most shocking part of the story is that these people were not just mindless, murderous, thugs but intelligent, highly educated young Middle class Men and Women who saw violence and murder as a valid political action.

The cast are superb and Bruno Ganz (Hilter in Downfall) gives another intense, spell binding performance as the man trying to out think and catch the Group.

Another highly impressive piece of German cinema that, like 'The Lives of Others', credits the audience with the intelligence to make their own mind up on how the actions of the main characters should be judged.

A great film.

WARNING if Bloody Violence or Nudity offend this will not be your cup of tea.

Well-made but dull

I can't say I enjoyed this. It's certainly well-made but, although I am generally happy with sub-titles, in this case they were too small and too fast-moving. But, more importantly, I simply couldn't empathise with the main characters: all 'too cool for school', killing for the fun of it, happily betraying each other and treating each other like dirt whilst pursuing their own little power games and ego-trips. Motivated by very much the same things as the “pigs” they despised, in fact, whilst killing many totally innocent people who “were in the way” as they got their kicks. It left me cold.

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The Baader-Meinhof Complex 2008

sorry it was sub titled so small and such a great film spoiled my viewing having to be so close to tv to follow it so dissapointed indeed!!!

Get the magnifying glass ready!

The subtitles are ridiculously and uncomfortably small on this film. This fact does not make it any easier when the dialogue in parts is very fast and it can be exceptionally difficult to keep up and I thought I was a reasonably fast reader.

[Highly rated reviewer]

the baader-meinhoff complex

50-50. shame it was in german