The Baader Meinhof Complex

Set in West Germany during the 1970s, The Baader Meinhof Complex follows Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof and Gudrun Ensslin as they form the Red Army Faction. Driven by anger at what they see as a new form of fascism, with American intervention abroad backed by figures in German politics and industry, the group turns to bombings and shootings against the state. Their campaign shakes a still fragile democracy and leaves casualties on both sides, while their own ideals erode as their methods grow more ruthless. Horst Herold, head of the federal police, leads the hunt for them and comes to understand his opponents even as he pursues them, knowing that capturing the leaders will not put an end to the violence.

Uli Edel directed, working from a screenplay he wrote with producer Bernd Eichinger. It is the ninth feature in the directing career that runs from Christiane F. in 1981 through Last Exit to Brooklyn and Body of Evidence to this film and, later, Pay the Ghost. Martina Gedeck plays Meinhof, Moritz Bleibtreu plays Baader and Johanna Wokalek plays Ensslin, with Nadja Uhl, Stipe Erceg and Niels-Bruno Schmidt among a credited cast of 52.

Made for around 20 million dollars, the film took about 27 million worldwide, a modest return for a German production of its scale. On IMDb it holds a critics' rating of 7 out of 10 from 98 reviews, and on TMDB it averages 7 out of 10 from 671 votes, so professional and general viewers land in much the same place.