September 5

It’s invariably disappointing when a movie you’ve been looking forward to seeing doesn’t live up to expectations. But such is the case with the latest offering from writer-director Tim Fehlbaum. This re-creation of the day when Black September terrorists took members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage at the 1972 Munich Summer Games, sadly, misses the mark on many fronts. As told from the perspective of the ABC sportscasting crew covering the story, the film comes up short in conveying the sense of urgency and immediacy associated with this human tragedy, which was broadcast live around the globe and is said to have attracted more viewers than Neil Armstrong’s 1969 moon landing. While the picture is to be commended for its apparent authenticity and insights at capturing the events and mood inside the broadcast headquarters, much of the narrative nevertheless descends into a talky, overly technical take on what was transpiring around the TV crew, not a particularly effective way of depicting the nature of an event that shook the world and inevitably changed the way on which crisis situations are reported. While I certainly was not looking for sensationalist treatment here, I also wasn’t expecting to be bored by its clumsy, underwhelming chronicling of circumstances that had the globe on the edge of its seat. The depiction of this scenario, including the coverage of the particulars of that day, as well as examination of the myriad moral implications involved in their televised presentation, fail to captivate viewers on the same way as the events themselves did. I personally remember this fateful day quite well as one that became indelibly etched into the memory of an impressionable 15-year-old – and one that played a critical role in my eventual decision to pursue an education and career in journalism. Because of that, perhaps I expected too much from this release. Perhaps I had unrealistic hopes that an entertainment vehicle could live up to the compelling journalistic portrayal of an event such as this. Either way, though, that doesn’t make up for the disappointment associated with the telling of this story. In a world plagued by as many catastrophes as we experience these days, one could argue that we needn’t be reminded of those that are now behind us. But, if we choose to embrace the notion of “never forget” associated with such traumatic incidents, it behooves those behind such painful commemorations to make sure that their impact unmistakenly comes through, something that is definitely not the case with this offering.

<em>'September 5'</em> is based upon a true story, one that I had somehow not really known about - despite being into sports, albeit not a big Olympics guy. The event in question did ring tiny bells in my head pre-watch, but oddly not as much as other Olympic events would have. As such, I didn't actually know how this story was going to play out. That was actually very beneficial, as I was moving up and down with all the dramatic and disturbing developments. This film portrays its plot tremendously, they set the perfect vibe and pace throughout. The acting is also of good quality. John Magaro is the one who impressed me most, though Peter Sarsgaard, Ben Chaplin and Leonie Benesch are also excellent. It's fascinating to see it all from the media's perspective, especially in terms how they broadcast; e.g. the onscreen graphics.