Carlos

Much will be said about this tour de force. A compilation of unbelievable acts of heroic madness. A caption at the beginning of he film warn us that "it should be treated as a work of fiction" Well, thank you very much. What makes this extraordinary achievement, truly extraordinary is Edgar Ramirez. A monumental performance that allows us to make sense of the man. Revolution is in his DNA but so fragile. His ego makes him corruptible and his nature swings between the extremes of an idealist and a sociopath. I was riveted and appalled. I had DVR all three episodes to watch at my leisure but once I started I couldn't stop watching. So I saw the whole thing in one sitting and it went fast very fast. That in itself is extraordinary. So, not to be missed.

A reviewer (understandably) posted a comment that indicated the US censorship forces would not allow this series to be shown on mass market outlets such as major cable TV networks. I include an excerpt from this person's review below: "USA FCC censorship will never allow this movie to be shown in public TV as it was in Europe (there is nudity and swearing all over). It is really a pity because young people should see this to understand the difference between fight and manipulation." I am happy to report that the major cable TV network, Time Warner cable TV, is showing this series now on its "on-demand" channels, which is very convenient for viewing. I saw evidence that the series was not substantially edited in that frontal male nudity was shown (a US taboo) and also the length of the 3-part series seems consistent with the most nearly complete versions of this series. This is of course not proof that nothing was edited, but it is encouraging. I hope this information is helpful to others!

Olivier Assayas, that astonishingly versatile director, has given us a film about Ilich Ramirez called Carlos. I found a lot of pleasure in the details: for example the singalong by Venezuelan and other exiles in a Paris apartment that turns into a bloodbath when the police enter and try to detain Carlos. The nervous hand-held camera work as the mayhem begins is most effective. The center-piece of any film about Middle Eastern terrorism must be the OPEC hostage taking, and this event Assayas depicts very well.

Carlos made me think of the political dramas the Italians used to do so well: The Mattei Affair and Exquisite Corpses by Rosi, The Battle of Algiers by Pontecorvo. I would give it a higher mark if the running time were not so excessive. The truth is that the last thirty years of this man's life have been pretty uneventful, and don't merit the outlay in time.

I remember watching the full 3 part mini-series some years ago, and being quite engaged. However I'd strongly recommend not watching any of the abridged versions. I had a DVD for the roughly 170 minute version and was left feeling confused and bored. It's hardly made clear why he has become so notourious. Near the he starts a relationship with a woman who out of nowhere has a child with her. Then that ends almost straight away and he has a new girlfriend, out of nowhere. We see him with the Syrians, then a sequence of the Berlin wall falling is shown, and then immediately after we see the Syrians cutting ties with him. If you want the proper experience, see the full 5+ hours of it.

Fast and furious, very much like the mesmerizing Mesrine in its focus on a focused, driven psychopath who ultimately commits crimes for the sense of power and adrenaline they fuel. Character vignettes are sharply portrayed in short, slower-paced scenes that provide rest stops from our own adrenaline rush and illustrate the defining personality traits of the eponymous anti-hero. As one example: the seduction scene in part 2 between Carlos and the German femme terrorist Magdalena Kopp.

Quite simply, like Mesrine, great cinema with action, passion and tragedy, and one of the best movies of the year.

Don't see anything less than the full version. DVR the showing on Sundance or wait for DVDs. The film was shot as a miniseries and there's no reason to see it in a theater, especially if it's the truncated version.