September 5 (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – During the 1972 Munich Olympics, an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes.

My Take – Irrespective of the politics involved, particularly considering the ongoing genocide in Gaza and its direct connection to this event, the Munich massacre of 1972 Summer Olympics was indeed a tragedy.

The terrorist attack saw eight members of the Palestinian militant organization, Black September, infiltrate the Olympic Village, immediately kill two members of the Israeli Olympic team, and then take nine other Israeli team members hostage. Unfortunately, those hostages too were later killed by the militants during a failed rescue attempt carried out by the then ill-equipped German police.

But while the story has been retold in various formats of film and television through the years, for his latest director Tim Fehlbaum and co-writers Moritz Binder and Alex David recreate the events from the perspective of the ABC Sports production crew.

A unique-enough angle to such a story that makes the film feel worthwhile at least in this respect. But reinvented as a kind of media procedural, the resulting film ends up leaving an indelible mark, especially in its devastating final act.

The Oscar nominated screenplay simply relishes in its intense atmosphere and compelling narrative that cages us in its claustrophobic setting that rarely ceases to intrigue.

Sure, it falters when it wrestles with the ideas at the core of the film about media ethics, but the content remains compelling and engaging throughout. And add to that the excellent performances, the period-accurate details, and depiction of the surrounding chaos, the familiar yet gripping recreation truly deserves all the praise coming its way.

Set during the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Germany, their first since 1936 and merely 27 years after the end of WWII. Simply told, physical and emotional wounds had not completely healed, and Germany was striving to put the past out of mind. Hence, this was the first Olympics with widespread and comprehensive live television coverage.

However, the story follows the crew populating the ABC Sports control room. Since the beginning of the event, ABC Sports President Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) has been running the show, but needing a break takes time off by handing over the reins to fledgling producer Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro), who came highly recommended from VP of Olympic Coverage Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin).

And while things are initially going as intended, soon the crew hears gun shots and then some German transmissions come over the wire about a potential hostage crisis, and since the crew can’t understand the language, they get the onboard translator Marianne Gebhardt (Leonie Benesch) to relay everything. Soon, despite being a sports coverage unit, they are providing live coverage to the world as tragedy unfolds before their eyes.

The genius of the film stems from the choice to shoot everything inside the control room. This heightens the claustrophobia and pressure as the crew struggles with how best to handle this developing and obviously historic moment. It’s no longer about swimmer Mark Spitz setting world records by winning seven gold medals or about the United States and Russia playing one of the strangest and most controversial games in Olympics history.

The film effectively captures the tension and chaos of the events, with the crew struggling to report on the crisis while navigating the complexities of live television. Fehlbaum‘s direction deserves praise for its taut and suspenseful approach.

While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the strongest journal-based dramas of our time, its refusal to ever ease up off of the gas pedal pays off superbly. Adding to the realism is the use of archival footage of Jim McKay‘s reporting of the tragedy.

The film also accurately shows how technology that was considered cutting edge back then but looks amusingly primitive today. The production design team deserves credit for recreating the ABC Sports broadcasting facility, adding to the film’s authenticity.

It also helps that all the actors deliver strong performances as their respective characters. John Magaro, Peter Sarsgaard, Ben Chaplin and Lorine Benesch are especially memorable. While in supporting performances roles, Daniel Adeosun, Rony Herman, Zinedine Soualem, and Benjamin Walker are solid. On the whole, ‘September 5‘ is an absolutely riveting media procedural that despite its recreation of a familiar event manages to be both compelling and deeply emotional.