<strong><span class="subhead">The Baader Meinhof Complex</span></strong></p><p>**</p><p><strong>R (bloody violence, disturbing images, sexual content, graphic nudity and language); 150 min.</strong></p><p>Provided you are either a.) German or b.) well versed in German history dating from about 1970 on, you will completely understand and appreciate <em>The Baader Meinhof Complex</em>. If you’re neither, you might want to do some research on the terrorists known as the Baader-Meinhof Gang, also called the Red Army Faction (RAF), who brutally fought the German establishment to prevent the spread of what they thought was just as bad as Hitler’s fascism — American imperialism.</p><p>Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, <em>The Baader Meinhof Complex</em> is based on the true story of the West German group that terrorized much of the country in the 1970s. </p><p>The film begins with rioting in Berlin, and eventually settles into focusing on the leaders of the gang, primarily Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck) and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek). Their ambition is to ensure that Germany will never again suffer at the hands of an oppressive regime the way it did in the ’30s and ’40s.</p><p>The problem is that as history, it’s fascinating but, as a movie, it’s a bit of a mess. There are so many characters and so many names, places and dates that the film gets weighed down with massive amounts of information.</p><p>For as much time as is spent on the lead characters, it’s hard to care about them. The only one that hits a nerve is a top law enforcement officer played by Bruno Ganz, the Swiss actor who brilliantly portrayed Hitler in <em>Downfall</em>. He acts as a guide through the terror and argues why brutal police tactics are futile and counterproductive.</p><p>Still, curious moviegoers would be better served by a documentary or a good book on the subject.</p><p><strong>Exclusive</strong>: Angelika Dallas</p><p>— Mac Engel