Holger Meins

Holger Meins was a member of the German urban guerrilla group the Red Army Faction, and before that a film-maker, who died on hunger strike in prison in November 1974. Although he may be less universally known than those core members of the group who inhabited Stammheim prison, and who went on trial in the period 1975-1977, his is nonetheless an interesting and revealing story, and this is explored in some depth in the 2001/2002 documentary "Starbuck Holger Meins", directed by Gerd Conradt.

The title refers to the code-name, taken from a character in Herman Melville's "Moby Dick", allocated to Meins as part of the communications system devised by the members of the group whilst they were incarcerated. The documentary is made up primarily of recollections and reflections from friends, acquaintances, colleagues and relatives of the subject. Part of the narrative is told in the "first person", courtesy of extracts from Meins' writings. There is lots of rare footage and material, much of which I had not seen before.

I was interested to note his early Christian leanings, in common with some other prominent German activists and militants of the time. It would have been good if this aspect of his life could have been developed more in the film, in the context of his political beliefs.

Due attention is paid in this film to Holger Meins' film-making and other artistic activities, and how these became more and more entwined with his political commitment, as the social atmosphere in Germany and elsewhere grew increasingly fractious and polarized. Some of the rhetoric both contained in the art, and expressed in writing and sound-bites, now seems somewhat dated , such as the worship of Mao Zedong. 

Although the documentary contains some elementary examination of, and insight into, Meins' personality, and the contradictions therein, I would have liked some greater stress on the ideals which persuaded him to become embroiled in the armed struggle. What effect, for example, did some of the pivotal incidents of the student protest movement have on him personally, or was it a gradual and inexorable process which stemmed largely from within?

The selection of contributors and "talking heads" is well-judged, constituting a good cross-section of the people with whom Meins had contact. Some of the names are well-known, but they do not overshadow or marginalize the thoughts and observations of those people who Meins associated with before his rise to "notoriety".

The hunger-strike is given surprisingly little coverage, only being fully scrutinized in tandem with Meins' death itself, although the scenes in this section of the film are quite powerful and well-judged. There are what I see as gaps in the story, but the producers were seemingly not striving for chronological rigour, but for overall impact and symbolism, and in this they generally succeed.

This documentary is a good piece of work, quite imaginatively and stylishly put together, but if anything it further hardened and soured my view of groups such as the RAF. Whilst being in sympathy with many of the grievances which they expounded, I feel that the methods and solutions which they offered were misguided, confused and often counter-productive.

The Baader Meinhof Complex (movie)

One subject which has fascinated me for the past two decades or so is the political violence which plagued many European countries in the 1970s, and particularly that which happened in West Germany. Recently I have renewed my study of this phenomenon, and as part of this I have watched again the 2008 movie The Baader Meinhof Complex.  Although I accept that the movie is over three years old, I thought that I would share some of my thoughts and observations.

It is tempting to see The Baader Meinhof Complex as being too glossy and superficial, and lacking nuance and depth.  However, one must recall that this is no niche "art film", but one seemingly aspiring to a wide, mainstream audience. So criticism from that standpoint is a little unjust.  In any event, most films in this sub-genre are tainted with being dubbed too "Hollywood"....

The film was based on Stefan Aust's book of the same name, and it seems that Aust had some input in a consultancy role. This shows in the attention to detail, and the narrative of the movie tallies with my own recollection of reading the book.

The film-makers were confronted with the prospect of telling a very complex and emotive story, and accomplishing this in a little over two hours.  Taking everything into account, I think they did a more than creditable job.  They couldn't hope to cover every aspect in minute detail, so careful use is made of real film footage and other material from the era, and many scenes take the form of "vignettes", all helping to tie things together and ensure continuity.  These abbreviated "snippets" end up being among the most memorable parts of the movie.

An area where the influence of Stefan Aust and his book can be clearly seen is in the portrayal of some of the major characters, particularly Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin.  Care was taken to ensure that some of their personality traits and idiosyncracies were shown. It is not quite a case of truth being stranger than fiction, but the lead actors manage to carry things off quite convincingly.

I was also impressed with the way in which the personal journey of Ulrike Meinhof formed a thread through the movie, from her periods of ambivalence and doubt, her relationship with Gudrun Ensslin, to her eventual estrangement from the rest of the group.

Many of the pivotal scenes in the film are intended to exactly replicate of the actual events, and this will be instantly recognisable to people who are familiar with the film footage from those days. In some ways, this is a mixed blessing. 

As in many movies of this kind, the "crowd" scenes are the ones which are most awkward to make convincing and not "staged".  Film-makers seldom get the balance correct, and in this The Baader Meinhof Complex is no exception.  I really don't know what the answer is.  These scenes are often essential to the relating of the story, but habitually look hopelessly contrived, and put the teeth on edge! My preferences are always for the parts of movies where personalities, motives, insecurities and human nature are examined, and this film allows ample scope for this.

I did not find the movie in any way judgemental, but an attempt to be even-handed and present events as accurately and frankly as possible, and let the viewer make up his or her own mind. This is aided by the telling of the story partly from the point of view of the West German authorities, and the differing views evident within the "inner circle" of police officers.  This was a mature depiction of all concerned; things are rarely black and white; there are a million shades of grey in between.

Continuing the "shades of grey" theme, there is some effort to underline the emergence of divergent agendas within the group, differing interpretations of aims and ideals, and the points at which individual consciences and scruples can no longer be suppressed and stifled.  All human beings have weaknesses, foibles and insecurities, and we are shown this as well as the bravado and bluster. The reconciling of "ends" and "means" is a sub-text, though not pushed excessively.

The film captures much of the anger and indignation of the protagonists, but also how this can become mutated.  Some people are easily led, and seduced by a sense of "belonging",  but soon realise that they do not possess the same zeal or ruthlessness as their comrades, but are in too deep to easily extricate themselves. Others seem at times to be driven as much driven by ego and narcissism as by the cause which they espouse.

The sequences set within the walls of Stammheim are among the most affecting in the film. The feelings of frustration and isolation are palpable, and we see the familiar dymanics involving people who are either in a confined space, or thrown together in close proximity to each other.  People have different thresholds of pain, suffering and torment. Still, even when the will has been broken and hope seems gone, the feeling of being trapped, and the need to "belong", still eat away.

Inevitably, a subject this contentious and troublesome will divide opinion, but overall, I would say that The Baader Meinhof Complex does a creditable job of telling a very contentious and complicated story, being quite comprehensive but still holding the attention.