Der Baader Fact

The Use of Fact and Fiction in Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex

The present essay aims to discuss the way fact and fiction are intertwined in Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex (film) in order to portray the main characters of the story and the course of events that are the subject of the film. The film was directed by Uli Edel (released in September 2008) and based on the non-fiction book of the same title by Stefan Aust, first published in 1985. The film presents the story of the so-called first generation of the Red Army Faction (RAF, Rote Arme Fraktion) group (also known as the Baader-Meinhof group) and its main players as well as how they and their actions inspired others to join their cause and to become what would later be labelled as the second
The Red Army Faction was a far-left-wing militant group that was active from 1970 to 1998. Its history is divided into three ‘generations’. The founding members and major figures in the “first generation” were Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof (a respected journalist and campaigner), Gudrun Enslin (a student of German literature and philosophy) and Horst Mahler (an established lawyer). It is because of the surnames of two of its members that the first generation is referred to as ‘The Baader-Meinhof Group’. They were active from 1970 until their suicide in Stammheim prison in 1977. The ‘second generation’ were active from the mid till late 1970s. The main players here were Susanne Albrecht, Christian Klar and Brigitte Mohnhaupt. It was this generation that killed Jürgen Ponto, abducted and killed Hans Martin Schleyer and organised the kidnapping of the Lufthansa Flight 181. These events of 1977 as well as others are known as the ‘German Autumn’. The “third generation” was active from around 1980 till the dissolution of the group in 1998. The main figure here was Wolfgang Grams (Preece 2010:
Other films include Germany in Autumn (directed by Alf Brustellin and others), Marianne and Juliane (directed by Margarethe von Trotta) and The Legends of Rita (directed by Volker Schlöndorff). However, the Baader-Meinhof Complex stands out when one considers the way violence is presented. It is presented in a very naturalistic way. The assassinations are shown in close-ups, there are plenty images of blood, mutilated and dead bodies. The scenes showing the assassinations show the group’s brutality. To strengthen the image the scenes filmed for the purpose are intertwined with snapshots of original footage showing the victims of RAF’s attacks. Such a presentation of violence is very much different to what viewers are used to when watching Hollywood blockbusters. It is very realistic and naturalistic. A good point of comparison is the film Munich directed by Steven Spielberg, which was inspired by the events at the Munich Olympics in 1972 when the Israeli sportsmen were kidnapped and assassinated by terrorists. In that film viewers do not see the assassinations but are informed about them. This difference can be explained by the wish of the creators of Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex to demythologize the RAF and their terrorist activities as well as presenting the events in a very realistic fashion. This aim is to be achieved by showing the brutality of the group which led them not only to