In the early 60s, Bernward Vesper and fellow university student Gudrun Ensslin begin a passionate love in the stifling atmosphere of provincial West Germany. Dedicated to the power of the written word, Bernward and Gudrun found a publishing house whose first publication is, paradoxically to many, a controversial past work of Bernward's ostracized father, an infamous Nazi author.
If you already own The Baader Meinhof Complex and you're looking for the other half of the definitive Red Army Faction double-bill, here it is. Even f you're not, there's still plenty of quality here to grip your attention.
A very, very solid, if a tad unadventurous, debut feature from Andres Veiel.
A severe, opaque, episodic movie.
A powerful drama.
It's an intelligent, complex, persuasive film, shorter, less agitated and comprehensive than Uli Edel's The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), but not so deeply felt or affecting as The German Sisters (1981), Margarethe von Trotta's fictionalised portrait of Gudrun Ensslin.
This is a shrewd two-pronged portrait of psychological unravelling against a vast political backdrop, with a daring, disturbing performance from Lauzemis.
Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee from Friday March 16, 2012, until Thursday March 22, 2012. More info: www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk
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