September 5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2 (out of 5)
Following the Second World War, Germany was doing all that it could to distance itself from their past under Adolf Hitler. One of those strategies in 1972 was holding the Munich Olympics as a juxtaposition to the 1936 games, which was an evident propaganda move to celebrate Nazism. Yet, unwittingly, the German law enforcement community had unnecessarily hobbled themselves from potential terrorist threats from outside of their borders that would leave a black stain on history during this event.
The day after US swimmer Mark Spitz set a new Olympic record haul of Olympic gold medals, at 4:30 am, eight Palestinian militants affiliated with Black September scaled a fence surrounding the Olympic Village. Disguised as athletes, they forced their way into the quarters of the Israeli Olympic team and took numerous hostages. As this historical event unfolded, the ABC (American Broadcasting Corporation) sports coverage team was unknowingly set up to be the one news crew to cover the horrific incident. Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard), Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro) and Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin) led the production team that had the only insider perspective as things unfolded to an unsuspecting world. Jim McKay and Peter Jennings (Benjamin Walker) were the face and voice of the action. Still, the broadcasting team overcame technological, political and personal obstacles to televise the first terrorist event to be reported live to a worldwide audience.
Swiss director Tim Fehlbaum (Tides) taps into the broadcasting tension of Broadcast News and The China Syndrome to deliver a fever pitch atmosphere that captures the tensions of this history-making event. He educates viewers about the limitations of technology and the naivety of society regarding the actions of terrorism while maintaining an entertaining element from beginning to end. A screenplay that honours the fallen athletes and shows how the world was on the cusp of political change that would show the power of television. Yet, this production is different from a standard documentary. Instead, this is an excellent drama that will capture the hearts of those unfamiliar with these world-changing actions.
This ensemble cast gives their best performances and allows their characters to come to life on screen. Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch stand out as the heart of this story as they show how this team dynamic made this less-than-ideal situation into a groundbreaking journey into broadcast history. As they navigate the politically charged dialogue reflective of modern incidents, the cast shows how difficult it is to handle these horrific actions of humanity most sensitively and directly. September 5 is one of the most important and entertaining films of the year, and it shows how there is nothing new under the sun.
Reel Dialogue: Life, faith & terror
Our friends at the Centre for Public Christianity look at how terrorism affects people daily. One of the defining narratives of the twenty-first century is the threat of global terrorism. It dominates the news cycle and is one of our society’s greatest fears.
To most Australians, terrorism isn’t a vague global threat that we perceive from afar – it’s real, frightening and near.
Listen in to this great discussion between Simon Smart, Natasha Moore, Richard Shumack, Professor Greg Barton, and Leisa Aitken. It goes straight to the heart of the key themes of September 5: terrorism, religion, and how these things impact our everyday lives.
Podcast: Life & Faith: On Terror
If you want to discuss this film's topics, contact us at Third Space. We would love to chat with you about this and more.
