Setembro 5

The attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics has been told in many ways, but September 5 takes a different perspective: that of the journalists who covered the crisis live. The film throws us into the ABC newsroom, where a team struggles to inform the world while the events unfold with unbearable tension.

The story feels real and intimate because it doesn't need to exaggerate the drama. There are no unnecessary reenactments or cheap emotional tricks. The pressure of the moment is conveyed through intense dialogues, uncertain glances, and the constant feeling that every decision inside that newsroom could change everything. It's a raw look at journalism when immediacy clashes with the responsibility of telling the truth.

The setting is excellent, and the pacing maintains the tension without forcing situations. While some parts may feel slightly stylized for cinematic impact, the film achieves its goal: making us feel the anguish of those who lived that day, not as mere witnesses, but as the ones responsible for informing the world.

I love authentic historic dramas. Especially, in eras in which I have lived. This seems authentic. It's a story of which I am familiar and have seen told in various formats of film through the years.

As stated in the above title, I found this telling most interesting of all.

I saw Spielberg's Munich in the theater years ago and I remember still feeling that it was a bit overlong and bloated. Even boring, I hate to say. And metaphorical to a fault.

This version of the facts is more taut, the run time for this film is shorter, and the clock is ticking in the movie, and the lives at stake.

Also, airtime. You are in the control room of ABC's Wide World of Sports when the tragic terrorist events occur during the Olympics in Germany in 1972.

Cigarettes are smoked. Rotary dial telephones are used for communication.

And there is a major crisis unfolding in the Olympic village.

It's a good history lesson for Gen-Z.

Even appropriate for grade level history in classrooms, middle school and up, I would think but it's rated R, so no.

But history is hardly ever pretty.

John Magaro and Ben Chaplin shine most brightly with their stellar performances.

This is worth a trip to the cinema.

It wouldn't be a terrible idea to bring your high school aged child to the theater with you for this one.

They could stand to learn a little history.

They'll walk out with you afterwards and say, Did that really happen?

Making a movie now about the 1972 Munich Olympic terrorist attacks might be considered something of a political hand-grenade since political opinion is clearly divided between those who side with Israel's continuing attacks on Gaza and those who are sympathetic to Palestine.

In "September 5" the 'villains' are clearly the Palestinian terrorists and the horrors of what is currently happening in the Middle East may put many people off seeing this film but then you could also say that "September 5" isn't so much about the hostage taking as it is about the reporting of the situation by ABC and this is definitely the best film about political journalism since "All the President's Men".

Director Tim Fehlbaum films it like a documentary and his remarkable cast respond beautifully. Every performance is pitch-perfect as is Markus Forderer's cinematography, Hansjorg WeiBbrich's editing and Fehlbaum's screenplay co-written with Moritz Binder and Alex David which doesn't feel like a script at all but a piece of actual news reportage and the thrills come not so much from hostage taking as from the dangers involved in simply recording it. The result is terrific cinema that simply shouldn't be missed.

As "September 5" (2024 release; 95 min) opens, we are watching an ABC promo on how it is broadcasting the 1972 Olympic Games "live and in color" from Munich, West Germany, a first in television history. We then go to the ABC studio right next to the Olympic village where they are just finishing coverage of the day at 4 am Munich time (10 pm New York time). Not long after, gunshots are heard... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from Swiss writer-director Tim Fehlbaum ("Tides"). Here he revisits the terrorist attack on the Israeli team at the 1972 Olympic Games, but strictly told from the perspective of the TV broadcasting team (ABC Sports). Multiple issues are raised, such as: should ABC Sports (on site in Munich) take the lead, or ABC News (in New York)? Should they air a potential killing of a hostage be aired live on tv? Etc. The movie plays out almost entirely from the ABC field studio in Munich and hence feels quite restricted (literally), creating even more tension. The cast is terrific, including Peter Sarsgaard as Roone Arledge (as head of ABC Sports). As you are watching this, it almost feels like all of it is happening in real time, but in fact it isn't (these events took place over almost 24 hrs. In real time). Last but not least, the film has a terrific original score, courtesy of Lorenz Dengel (who has collaborated with Tim Fehlbaum before).

"September 5" premiered at the Venice film festival last summer to immediate and broad critical support. The movie started airing in US theaters in December and is now streaming on Paramount+, where I watched it just last night. It picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It is currently rated 93% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which feels a little too generous to me. Regardless, if you want to revisit the horrible events of September 5, 1972 at the Munich Olympic Games, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

September 5 is a gripping documentary, but many analysts believed that the 1972 Munich Olympics attack set a precedent for modern terrorism.

The world watched in real-time as the crisis unfolded, and Black September achieved exactly what they wanted: maximum publicity. This was one of the first instances where a terrorist attack was staged with the global media in mind, creating a model that has since been replicated.

The media's role in amplifying terrorism is complex. On one hand, coverage is necessary to inform the public, expose security failures, and hold governments accountable. On the other, the relentless focus on the perpetrators can sometimes grant them the notoriety they seek. This has led to ongoing ethical debates about how journalists should report on terrorism without unintentionally promoting it.

By revisiting September 5, the film not only honors the victims but also forces viewers to confront the enduring complexities of terrorism, security failures, and international politics that remain relevant today.