*Warning – This movie is rated R for vulgar language and frightening imagery*
September 5 is a drama created by Tim Fehlbaum. The film follows the events of the 1972 Munich Olympics where an ABC Sports team led by Peter Sarsgaard’s Roone Arledge is covering the events. However, after gunshots ring out in the Olympic village, the control room manager Geoffrey Mason, played by John Magaro, interpreter Marianne Gebhardt, played by Leonie Benesch, and the rest of the ABC Sports crew find themselves to be the only live coverage of the tragic event.
The movie is inspired by the real events of the 1972 Munich Olympics, when on September 5, 1972, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September stormed the apartments of the Israeli athletes, killing two instantly and taking nine hostages, demanding that the Israeli government release 230 Palestinian and Arab prisoners. The tragic situation lasted for 17 hours, and due to the inept handling of the crisis, nine hostages, five militants, and one German police officer were killed in the resulting shootout. These events have been covered twice before: once by Kevin Macdonald in the 1999 docufilm One Day In September, and a second time by Steven Spielberg in his 2005 film Munich. After watching each rendition, I can say that September 5 is the best version.
In a film based on real events, the most important element to many is the realism and dedication to the true details, and this movie has been hailed as largely accurate. In fact, though a majority of the movie takes place in the ABC Sports studio, much of the real live footage is used throughout the movie, adding an extra level of realism not achieved by other films. The sequence of events remains largely untouched and the exploration of the interference from other networks adds an interesting angle, as well as a subtle commentary on corporate greed in the face of history.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that this movie is just that: a movie. Therefore, it is bound to have certain elements of dramatization. To this point, it’s not entirely surprising to find that Marianne Gebhardt is a fictional character added by the director. While some may view this as a substantial deviation from reality, I actually think Marianne is the most important character in the movie. Even beyond the fact that she is invaluable to the characters in the film, Marianne serves as an embodiment of the German mindset at the time. The 1972 Olympics was the first time Germany had hosted since World War II, and given the atrocities Germany committed during that time, the government wanted to prove that they were reformed and peaceful, and as a result they were lax on security. Marianne often voices these sentiments throughout the film, giving insight into the poor handling that occurred.
Despite the film’s overall success including a Golden Globe nomination, it has received ample criticism as well. Some argue that the release of the movie now despite the tense climate in the Middle East was a poor choice, while others find it unnecessary to create a third adaption of the events when two acclaimed iterations already exist. However, I think the movie is nonetheless very good. The stellar acting and good pacing contributed heavily to the emotion and intensity of the situation, almost making it feel as if you were watching the events unfold all over again. Overall, I think it’s a fantastic depiction of journalism in action. I would recommend this movie to those who enjoy historical fiction, journalism, and similar genres.
September 5 is available in theaters for a limited time.
