And the winner is: Producer Arthur Cohn and director Kevin Macdonald accept their Best Feature Documentary Oscar.
Where it doesn't succeed is in its heavy-handed attempts to milk sentiment from the story, which frankly is powerful enough on its own. But no, we have widows and orphans of the victims eulogising their husbands and fathers. We see the gruesome aftermath of violence in extreme close-up. And we also have a serious amount of German-bashing, as the film analyses all of their cock-ups microscopically (including computer-generated re-creations of the disastrous final confrontation). Sure, the situation was handled very badly from start to finish, but a proper documentary would simply present the facts without casting judgement. The interviewees, not the filmmaker, should draw conclusions. This desperate need to cast blame seems biased and unnecessary ... and it has the nerve to shift the guilt away from the terrorists themselves.
Even so, the sheer level of detail makes this film definitely worth seeing--whether or not you remember the events themselves. It's gripping and extremely well-constructed, capturing palpably the tension and awfulness of that day when what should have been a peaceful celebration of world spirit turned far more horrific than anyone could have imagined.
[15--strong themes, violence] 18.Apr.00
UK release 19.May.00; US release 17.Nov.00
