ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER

"There will be those who claim One Day in September is a work of bias, while others will protest that it doesn't offer a solid enough understanding of the political situation in the Middle East. In answer to the first charge, it must be difficult when dealing with a single circumstance of brutality to appear objective. As to the second, a film covering this centuries old conflict could probably last a week and still miss a great deal. Ignoring these two charges, this is both a riveting and moving work. Director Kevin Macdonald has chosen to present the events of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games hostage crisis as a suspense thriller. The documentary genre sure is changing and the surprise here is that he manages to pull it off so completely. Those of us who were around at the time probably think we know what happened. But memory is a fuzzy thing and Macdonald very cleverly withholds key pieces of information so we are able to watch it as though it is actually happening. Revelations at the end of the film come as a complete surprise and demonstrate our minute awareness of international processes. We learn about government, the Olympic movement (nothing too surprising here) and observe sporting commentators trying to come to grips with real tension rather than that artificially manufactured in a stadium. The music of Phillip Glass drives the piece beautifully while interviews and grim photos bring home the frightening reality. A well deserving winner of this year's Academy Award."
Lee Gough

"Whatever you think of the Oscars, you’ve got to admit sometimes they do get it right. In March, after a year of wonderful documentaries, the Academy handed the statuette for best feature length documentary to this story about the tragic events at Munich in 1972. And what a story it is! One Day in September is filled with all the essential elements of human drama - love, politics, violence, hope, heroism, cowardice, despair, anger. Impressively directed by Kevin Macdonald, the film is constructed in what is essentially narrative format, although using the real life events. Narrated by Michael Douglas and supported by a great soundtrack, One Day in September builds a kinetic tension as circumstances unfold, leading to a shocking climax. But Macdonald doesn’t forget that there’s a human dimension to the tragedy. He focuses on two men at the centre of the drama, each (in their own way) bringing their own perspective to the film. Although they had little in common, the calamity of that day and its aftermath for both of them is stunningly brought home. There are several confronting scenes in this film, but a filmmaker can’t possibly hope to tell the full story without revealing the ugly side of what went on. It doesn’t pull any punches in the emotional department either, with an ending as moving as any since Schindler’s List - and all the more powerful because it’s real. One Day in September deserves to be seen; so please don’t be put off by the fact it’s a documentary. This is a terrific film - one of the finds of the year."
David Edwards