But the aspect which affected me most was the way the director, Uli Edel, captures the excitement, the tension, the humor, the disappointment, the rage, the depression, the ennui, and the very ethos of the RAF and each of its members perfectly. There are many times when these feelings bleed from the screen and into me, and it's me who's feeling these emotions, not the characters. He manages to give an almost clinical neutrality to his treatment of all the characters, regardless of their politics.
I can understand, although not agree with, some of the criticisms that were written. I'm sure that most of the people writing these comments didn't live through these events, or were too young to be mindful or even aware of them; ergo, their obvious lack of comprehension or appreciation of the crackling tension of everyday life in the 1960s.
At the beginning of this review, I used the phrase Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Here's why: In 1968, during which a part of this film takes place, over 90% of the world's money was controlled by less than 10% of its people. [This was part of what formed the genesis of the RAF, as well as other like groups.]
In 2009, over 90% of the world's income is still controlled by less than 10% of its people.
What are you doing about it?
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Article comments
1 - Lou Novacheck
Talk about timing. One of the members of this group was just arrested yesterday in connection with one of the murders depicted in the film.