September 5, 2024.
Directed by Tim Fehlbaum.
Starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch, Daniel Adeosun, Corey Johnson, Solomon Mousley, Georgina Rich, Marcus Rutherford, Zinedine Soualem, Benjamin Walker, Robert Porter Templeton, and Rony Herman.
SYNOPSIS:
During the 1972 Munich Olympics, an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes.
Given that the 1972 Olympics in Munich marked the first time a terrorist situation was broadcast on live television, it’s logical that co-writer/director Tim Fehlbaum would choose to tell September 5 from that same perspective. That creative choice allows the film to effectively function as a story about journalistic integrity and as compelling problem-solving material regarding acquiring footage to air, filled with appropriately frantic and stressed-out performances, but the drawback is that the film (with Moritz Binder and Alex David contributing to the screenplay) has no political interest in the larger scope of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is a failure to read the room considering current events.
Even when focusing on what the film is rather than what it isn’t, there is an emotional distance from the Israeli hostages. Naturally, this is because the filmmakers are more drawn to reenacting what a ragtag ABC Olympic sports team was able to accomplish and cover despite having no formal training in that field of journalism. Questions of ethics are raised, at one point with the news crew discussing whether or not the terrorists can watch the same feed they are broadcasting and what kind of consequences that could have. It’s also worth mentioning that rather than re-create such disturbing events and images, the filmmakers seamlessly utilize archival footage from what was aired on September 5th, adding a welcome layer of immersion.
There are petty squabbles over exclusivity with CBS (amusing considering this film is a Paramount release), hyper fixations on correct phrasings to relay developments as responsibly and accurately as possible, news crew cameras shoved onto a hill to capture footage, and heated moral debates within the crew about whether any of this is justified, especially since they may end up capturing an assassination on live television where family members of these Israeli Olympians might be watching. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is also swirly, jerky cinematography (courtesy of Markus Förderer ) to convey tensions and split-second decision-making.
At the center of this is John Magaro’s Geoffrey Mason, who is not new on the job but somewhat inexperienced when running the show. Others haven’t slept and have promised to talk to their families for a while, so he is put in charge for what should have been a relatively uneventful morning and standard day of Olympic coverage. Suddenly, gunshots are heard in the middle of the night, and considering that relations are still in the healing process with some who haven’t quite started to separate modern Germans from the past, the worse is initially assumed.
Also part of the crew is Leonie Benesch’s Marianne Gebhardt, who finds herself taking on a more prominent role regarding peacekeeping and translating what actions German police officers are taking. Given the setting and not too far distance removed from World War II, it would have arguably been more compelling if her perspective was prioritized, especially since she leaves the station at one point to venture into the heart of danger. She is the most interesting character with the most complex emotions in this predicament by being German.
However, as mentioned before, the film strictly depicts the tension inside the newsroom. Unfortunately, that limits the story’s scope and emotional impact, although there is plenty to admire about the commitment to September 5 that remains inside that room.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
