Seeing a movie retelling historical events can be hard to watch depending on how the situation ends for the film's subjects. There are times when we know things wrap up with a happy ending for everyone involved, but in September 5, we face the exact opposite situation where we know that numerous people are going to lose their lives.
The movie features a stellar cast but it was John Magaro's performance as Geoffrey Mason that really stuck with me as I left the theater. At the beginning of the film, you can see the joy and excitement on his face as he prepares to lead the control room during the coverage of the 1972 Summer Olympics. By the end of the film, he looks like a man broken by circumstances he couldn't control.
Magaro is joined by Peter Sarsgaard (Roone Arledge) and Leonie Benesch (Marianne Gebhardt) as the true standouts of the film. Sarsgaard brings a presence that demands your attention throughout the entire film while Benesch provides a calming presence as the translator, runner, and everything in-between for the control room.
Following the capture of the Israeli athletes and coaches is a frantic experience for both the movie's subjects and the viewers watching the film. As the crew tries to figure out what they can report, if they should report it, and how should they report it, it draws the viewer in deeper and deeper until we're fully invested in the hostage's wellbeing even if we already know how the story ends.
The movie also touches on numerous subjects including misinformation, the pressure of being first to provide breaking news, how the news affects people besides the subject, and how coverage of these worldwide events has changed over the last 50 years.
As the hostages and terrorists are moved from their apartments to a bus waiting outside for them, you can feel the anxiety that everyone involved in the situation was facing. It's also easy to imagine how much fear not only the athletes felt, but all of their friends and family watching at home felt as well.
It's the last 25-30 minutes of the film that really stand out as the hostages are taken to a military airport outside of the Olympic village. When rumors start circulating the hostages are free, a frantic argument breaks out discussing on if they should report it or wait until they have confirmation from an additional source.
This is where Ben Chaplin (Marvin Bader) shines the most throughout the film as he pleads with
Arledge to hold off and avoid reporting false news. Watching the horror appear on his face when he finds out the hostages were murdered a few minutes later is one of the most devastating moments in the film as he not only realizes people are dead, but that their reporting gave false hope to the victim's families and teammates.
As the end credits rolled a few minutes later, the epilogue mutely showcases the fact that over 900 million people viewed the terrorist attack that day. It puts a final crushing stamp on a movie that is tense, exceptional, but also emotionally heavy.
September 5 is now playing in theatres.