Product: One Day in September [VHS] (2006)
Rating: 4.0
ONE OF THE BEST DOCUMENTARIES I HAVE SEEN
One Day in September is - I think - one of the best docos I have seen. I found it gripping and left the cinema almost drained.I was very happy that the film maker let the story tell itself from the actual footage of the time and interviews with Ankie Spitzer and the one surviving 'Black September' terrorist. There was no excessive reliance on voice overs.There was a good mix of footage from the games themselves which I think captures the spirit of the time.I read a previous review that claimed the whole doco was a bit thin. Perhaps it was. It did assume a certain level of knowledge. However, I think that even if you didn't know the background, you would still come away with the fundamentals on the event.While I think the film-maker was perfectly justified in 'kicking' the Germans for their handling of the crisis, I felt he was a little unfair in belittling their efforts at trying to make the Munich games the 'friendly games' after the obvious legacy of the 1936 Berlin Games. While in hindsight the security was lax, it was understandable that the Germans took this approach.So, I would highly recommend the film. It was entertaining, gripping, educational in its way, and leaves you coming away with a feeling of profound regret that the crisis ended the way it did.A worthwhile buy.