One Day In September DVD Review:

Even thirty some years after the horrible events at the 1972 Munich Olympics it still remains a sensitive subject. Even with a director like Steven Spielberg creating a new film about the events and the aftermath, and another film already made, it still seems touchy. In 1999 the Academy Award winning documentary was One Day in September, a film which must have been part of the inspiration for the new film. This documentary features the facts in such a straightforward manner, it is not likely to be shocking for those old enough to have witnessed the massacre, but it comes at a time in which many audience members will be experiencing them for the first time. History is much more likely to be spread in a convincing manner when it is presented in a breathtaking presentation as this film.

In 1972, eleven Israeli athletes were attacked in the middle of the night and taken hostage by a group of Palestinian extremists. Their demand was to have two hundred political prisoners released, and what resulted was a day of waiting and postponing. The image of the terrorists sticking their masked faces outside of the balcony door in the housing area for the athletes will forever stay in history as one of the most surreal and frightening images to remind us that the world we live in is not safe. The footage of the event was extensive, and often the reporters were filming things that the terrorists watched on television inside the room. At the time it was not helpful, but now we are able to see nearly all that happened first-hand.

What events were not captured on film, such as the failed attack at the airfield, is shown in diagrams and explained by many who were present. The interviews are so extensive in this film that there is hardly any use for narration, which is done by Michael Douglas. There are interviews from family members of the victims, as well as many who were there, but the most shocking interview comes from the only surviving member of the Palestinian group. Shortly after being freed, all other members of the group were assassinated, but the last remaining member came out of hiding just to give his side in this documentary. He is still very clearly proud of his involvement, which makes it eerie to hear him speak.

The DVD is being released again because of the upcoming release of Munich in theaters, but hopefully audiences will be intrigued to see a documentary first. This is a great documentary, and one that should be watched in history classes as well as in our homes. The DVD has a shocking cover which features the famed image of the terrorists in the center of one of the Olympic circles. It is a dark and simple image of red and black, but it is enough to get the point across clearly. The film, and the DVD, is respectful of the tragic events of that day.



Ryan Izay