September 5 Parent Guide

The 1972 Munich Olympics are intended to be a triumph for more than just the athletes. For West Germany, the games are a demonstration that the country has atoned for the horrors of World War II by becoming a peaceful, productive part of the global community. For ABC Sports, this is a chance to demonstrate their technical prowess as, for the first time ever, the games are broadcast live via satellite – and in full color.

September 5^th seems to be a routine day for Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro), a control room operator who comes in early to prep for the day ahead. Then his colleagues hear gunshots in the distance. When it becomes apparent that Palestinian terrorists from the Black September group have attacked the apartments of the Israeli athletes, Mason contacts Roone Arledge (president of ABC Sports, played by Peter Sarsgaard) and Marvin Bader (head of operations, played by Ben Chaplin). Mason is put in charge of the control room as Arledge and Bader busy themselves trying to get more satellite time and keeping the story in their hands instead of handing it over to the political reporters in New York.

For Mason, the pace is dizzying as he juggles feed from multiple cameras, tries to keep on top of incoming information, sends journalist Peter Jennings (Benjamin Walker) into the athletes’ village to report on the hostage taking, finds interview subjects, and receives updates from the police scanner interpreted by their German translator, Marianne (Leonie Benesch). This is the first time a terrorist attack has ever been broadcast live and there’s no playbook.

What Mason soon realizes is that there are no ethical rules either. Soon he’s conferring with Arledge and Bader, trying to find a balance between the viewer’s right to know and the need to respect the feelings of hostages’ families; the journalistic obligation to tell the story versus the need not to overshare German police operations. As Mason asks, “If they shoot someone on live TV whose story is it? Ours or theirs?”

There are few things I enjoy as much as a good journalism film, and I had a blast with September 5. It’s smart, well written, and full of high-stakes, debatable issues. The acting is excellent, sets convincing, and period detail dead right. The story is clearly set in the 1970s but the ghost of World War II is palpable, a scar on the European psyche and a shared past for the characters. Here it intersects with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which feeds into the contemporary challenge of Islamic fundamentalism. The past is never past: we still live in the world Mason tried to interpret and share in 1972.

I only have one complaint about September 5 and it’s a rare one: the movie is too short. An extra 15 minutes would provide some backstory for the main characters (I had to Google them after the movie) and would offer a less abrupt ending. Otherwise, there’s little to quibble about. The only real negative content is profanity, with eleven f-bombs and another nine swear words. The cussing is the reason for the Restricted rating – even the terrorist violence takes place off screen. If you can tolerate the swearing, this is a fascinating film about history, ethics, and the contemporary challenges of instant communication. I’m sure it will stream eventually, but if you want more movies like this, vote with your wallet and buy a ticket at the local theater.