If you not us who: Berlin-review

This background story of the terrorist Gudrun Ensslin and husband of soft Bernward Vesper offer not enough drama or insight.

Film Festival Berlin, competition

Andres Veiel

August Diehl, Lena Lauzemis, Alexander Fehling

BERLIN-(Wettbewerb) while Uli Edel's the Baader Meinhof complex the exploits of the left-wing terrorist organisation RAF extensively chronicled the film remained mum when it comes to an important question: why would a group of young people from turn good houses in the terrorists, bent on the West German Government to destroy?

Director Andres Veielif need us who tries, left it as their beliefs only make were by the stories of the terrorist Gudrun Ensslin and her Publisher husband Bernward Vesper to answer at a time. While it presents a fascinating slice of German history and two rich characters, running the film by steam, long before a conclusion is reached. Theatre outside should prospects of Germany for this considerable production with festivals and DVD/TV is most likely international destinations are limited.

Veiel, whose black box Germany in the year 2001 was the most insightful documentary about the RAF today as his film begins Bernward Vesper (August Diehl). He loves his father and cannot understand why, one of Hitler's favorite poet, now being shunned by the literary community. Ensslin (Lena Lauzemis), later as a young student, is the only pay lip service to liberal ideas pays.

Both are unique character but Veiel fails on their radical changes halfway through the film credible - Vesper's bend in the debt, drugs and insanity or Esslin of sudden radicalism, which is later way talked through their fall for a charismatic and hunky terrorists in training, Andreas Baader (Alexander Fehling).

Ensslin's father has a moment when the applied moderate lefty tells his daughter: "And what is always never speak if this new fascism?", to say that you do not so much it fights could be, but eagerly await you. It's a bit of insight from an older generation, but little themselves or their peers comes substantially from the protagonists. You can enjoy your newfound freedom, and the sex and drugs, that with him, but mostly go spout of political slogans which seem learned but not felt.

Diehl treated the first half of the film good, but poorly stumbles, if character to be landscape madness Chew and lose us is already long before running around naked in a children's sandbox. Lauzemis, on the other hand, is a real find - but your character is less interesting, if you clearly in favour of Andreas Baader, who with leading - man played by Fehling attitude.

Technical credits are unusually high, especially Annette Focks' varied score and Judith Kaufmann'sbrilliant cinematography. Editor Hansjörg Weissbrichweekly news mounts provide continuous historical information.

Venue: International Film Festival Berlin (competition)
Production company: 0 (zero) a film
Actor: August Diehl, Lena Lauzemis, Alexander Fehling, Thomas Thieme, Michael Wittenborn
Director/screenwriter: Andres Veiel
Producer: Thomas Kufus
Director of photography: Judith Kaufmann
Production designer: Christian M. Goldbeck
Music: Annette Focks
Costumes: Bettina Marx
Publisher: Hansjörg Weissbrich
No review, 125 minutes