September 5 (2024) Paramount/Drama RT: 95 minutes Rated R (language) Director: Tim Fehlbaum Screenplay: Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum and Alex David Music: Lorenz Dangel Cinematography: Markus Forderer Release date: December 13, 2024 (US) Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch, Zinedine Soulaem, Corey Johnson, Georgina Rich, Benjamin Walker, Rony Herman.
Rating: ****
The new fact-based drama September 5 is going to be a tough sell for Paramount. There aren’t that many people who know the significance of the titular date. I wouldn’t have known it myself if I didn’t see the trailer beforehand.
Something bad went down that day more than 50 years ago. Ever hear of the Munich Massacre? I’m sure a lot of you have. It happened during the Summer Olympics in Munich in 1972. Palestinian terrorists, the militant group Black September, infiltrated the Olympic Village and took the entire Israeli team hostage. Their goal was to secure the release of their comrades being held in Israeli prisons. 20 hours and two botched rescue attempts later, it ended tragically with the deaths of the nine hostages at a German airfield. This is NOT a spoiler; it’s historical fact. You can read all about the incident on Wikipedia.
The movie September 5 trains its focus elsewhere. Instead of putting viewers in the thick of the action, it shows us the events from the perspective of the news people covering the situation, the ABC News Sports crew. The day begins like any other. The producer overseeing the broadcast Geoffrey Mason (Magaro, Past Lives) is prepping everybody for the day’s events which will be broadcast live all over the world via satellite (aka “The Bird”). Suddenly, gunshots ring out. Nobody knows what’s going on at first. When word reaches them of the volatile situation in the Village, they immediately spring into action, setting up cameras in advantageous positions and televising everything as it happens as per the orders of network executive Roone Arledge (Sarsgaard, Shattered Glass) in defiance of ABC bigwigs who want him to turn the story over to the news team.
We, along with everybody in the control room, watch it all play out on TV screens for 95 of the tensest minutes you’re ever likely to experience. I was on the edge of my seat despite already knowing the ultimate outcome. Despite being relegated to one location, September 5 is a riveting, fast-paced thriller of sorts as it perfectly captures the chaos and intensity of a newsroom. We never see any of the violence or carnage; we only hear about it after the fact through interviews and reports on German radio. Somehow it drives home the tragedy even harder.
Directed by Swiss filmmaker Tim Fehlbaum making his American debut, September 5 gets fairly complex with the ramifications that could follow if things go south. Hitler’s actions during WWII were still fresh in people’s minds. How would it look if more Jews were killed in Germany? Politicians try to save face while West German police fumble through rescue attempts without assistance from the military who aren’t allowed to intervene. At one point, the police bust into the control room with guns drawn and order the crew to stop broadcasting because the terrorists can see what they’re doing on TV. It’s a political quagmire for Germany.
The acting in September 5 is absolutely flawless. Both Magaro and Sarsgaard perfectly convey the uncertainty of their characters as they make the decision of whether or not to continue broadcasting if the terrorists kill a hostage in range of the cameras. Their area of expertise is sports; this is the first time they’ve ever covered a story like this. Mason wants to get it right. His feeling of guilt is palpable when he learns he inadvertently allowed false information to be reported. Ben Chaplin (The Truth About Cats & Dogs), who plays Olympic producer Marvin Bader, brings humanity to the team as a Jewish man who realizes the true weight of the situation. German actress Leonie Benesch (The Teachers’ Lounge) does solid work as Marianne Gebhardt who acts as translator for the crew.
Thanks to tight editing by Hansjorg Weibbrich and the handheld cinematography by Markus Forderer, September 5 has a documentary-like feel to it. The screenplay is taut and intelligent; it’s not afraid to touch on complex themes. At the same time, it doesn’t politicize. It remains objective throughout, just giving us the facts, never once taking a position on Middle East relations. Is that not the key to effective journalism? It also touches on the ethics of the profession with Mason and Arledge questioning their responsibilities to the public in reporting the news. In addition to all else, September 5 is very thought-provoking.
In a perfect world, audiences would flock to September 5. It’s an excellent film. It’s a great alternative to all the big-budget noisefests set to dominate multiplexes over the next few weeks. It’s that rare film aimed at adult audiences. It makes you think. I see nothing wrong with that.
