One Day in September

One Day in September


Starring:Michael Douglas, Ankie Spitzer, Jamal Al Gashey, Gerald Seymour, Alex Springer, Gad Zahari, Shmuel Lalkin, Manfred Schreiber, Walter Troger, Ulrich K. Wegener, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Schlomit Romajo, Magdi Gahary, Zvi Zamir, Dan Shillon, Heinz Hohensinn, Esther Roth, Hans Jochen Vogel, Anouk Spitzer, Jim McKay (II)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
On September 5, 1972, eight Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli athletes and took nine others hostage at the Munich Olympic Village. The event stopped the games, gripped the world, and perhaps for the first time fully illustrated the volatile state of affairs in the Mideast to the world. Kevin Macdonald's 1999 Academy Award(r)-winning documentary painstakingly reconstructs the events, shedding light on what the world saw on television with the exasperating revelation of behind-the-scenes blunders.

This visceral, tense film uses riveting news footage to great effect, weaving in affecting interviews. Macdonald mourns the deaths of the innocent Olympic hostages and dutifully gives a voice to the Palestinian cause through interviews with Jamal al-Gashey, the only survivor of the eight terrorists, who briefly came out of hiding for the film. He earnestly but half-heartedly sketches a picture of the social and political situation that fueled the act, reserving his anger for the grossly unprepared German police force. The tragedy that erupted at the Fürstenfeldbruck air base becomes all the more upsetting in light of the incompetence and unforgivable mistakes: botched rescues, poor planning, bad intelligence, and lack of contingency plans. Even the irresponsibility of the media circus gets off lightly. It's a sobering, angering, often frustrating piece of non-fiction cinema, a thorough piece of historical research brought to life with an angry immediacy. Macdonald simply doesn't know what lessons to draw from it all. --Sean Axmaker
One Day in September
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • This could be you and yours
  • Terror of an Olympic Proportion
  • Profoundly disturbing, but unfortunately a true story...
  • barbara tuchman might have called it "the guns of september"
  • Watch, learn and remember.
 One Day in September
Starring: Michael Douglas , Ankie Spitzer , Jamal Al Gashey , Gerald Seymour , and Alex Springer
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:
  1. 21 Hours at Munich
  2. Sword of Gideon
  3. Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response
  4. Munich (Widescreen Edition)
  5. One Day in September: The Full Story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli Revenge Operation "Wrath of God"

ASIN: B000BNXD6E
Release Date: 2005-12-20

Amazon.com essential video

On September 5, 1972, eight Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli athletes and took nine others hostage at the Munich Olympic Village. The event stopped the games, gripped the world, and perhaps for the first time fully illustrated the volatile state of affairs in the Mideast to the world. Kevin Macdonald's 1999 Academy Award(r)-winning documentary painstakingly reconstructs the events, shedding light on what the world saw on television with the exasperating revelation of behind-the-scenes blunders.

This visceral, tense film uses riveting news footage to great effect, weaving in affecting interviews. Macdonald mourns the deaths of the innocent Olympic hostages and dutifully gives a voice to the Palestinian cause through interviews with Jamal al-Gashey, the only survivor of the eight terrorists, who briefly came out of hiding for the film. He earnestly but half-heartedly sketches a picture of the social and political situation that fueled the act, reserving his anger for the grossly unprepared German police force. The tragedy that erupted at the Fürstenfeldbruck air base becomes all the more upsetting in light of the incompetence and unforgivable mistakes: botched rescues, poor planning, bad intelligence, and lack of contingency plans. Even the irresponsibility of the media circus gets off lightly. It's a sobering, angering, often frustrating piece of non-fiction cinema, a thorough piece of historical research brought to life with an angry immediacy. Macdonald simply doesn't know what lessons to draw from it all. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars This could be you and yours.......2007-03-12

There is much about this film that will revolt you: the way the film-makers try to be "even and balanced" by giving Jama Al Gashey (the surviving terrorist) yet another chance to portray himself as a hero; the way a German politician looks the camera in the eye and proclaims that he "liked Issa" (the negotiator for the terrorists and arguably the most revolting man of the lot); the non-stop laughter from another German politician which starts when he recounts that the Israelis wanted to send a team in (ha ha); the complete indifference of the Olympic Committee then and now (they just wanted the hostages moved from the Village so the Games could continue); the collusion between the German Government and the Palestinian terrorists and so much more.

But perhaps the most revolting thing about this admittedly engrossing movie is that the film-makers and the producers and everyone else involved in it just don't get it. They don't get that this could be their family tomorrow. It could be my family, it could be your family.

I wish there was another movie of the horror of 1972 that talked about the victims but (to the best of my knowledge) there isn't. And so (very reluctantly) I recommend it.

Watch it. Because this could be you and yours.

5 out of 5 stars Terror of an Olympic Proportion.......2007-03-05

I was in college from 1970-74 and I missed out on a lot of news during those years primarily because I rarely ever watched TV then. (There were far too many other things to do). I saw "Apollo 13" and wondered, Wow! When did that happen? Of course, when I realized it was during that time frame, I understood just how cut off I was. The Munich Olympics did not entirely escape my attention but I wasn't exactly an expert on the subject either. That is why I enjoyed the documentary "One Day in September" recently. I knew the basics but I hadn't realized that the whole story had so much more to it.

In "One Day in September", we are giving a step by step account of exactly what DID happen in Munich. In fact, after a good background intro, the film shows us the exact time of each incident or event as they ocurred. Much of the action (and inaction) is documented with newsreel footage of the times. There are a number of eyewitness interviews many of which appeared to have been conducted later for this film. The narration is limited and seems to have been used only to bridge sequences and/or inform us of background activities not otherwise documented by film or interview. Most of the information I saw I either never knew or had long forgotten. I am glad that I saw this film because I won't forget this again.

The film, I believe, actually opens with an on-camera interview with one of the perpetrators which had the eerie effect of letting us know that there was some element of "success" for the terrorists. The interview with this individual is interspliced throughout the movie and is quite helpful (although it may be bothersome to some that he survived the terrorist action). There are a number of interviews with German officials who seemed to have a knack for phrasing things in just the wrong way. Indeed, I recalled that the German government came off looking bad but I'd forgotten or didn't know just how bad. Things just seemed to get worse and worse largely due to the ineptitude of the German authorities.

Documentaries are often seen and then forgotten. Maybe there's a documentary channel somewhere I haven't heard about but I don't think so. "One Day in September" has reappeared recently on TV recently and I'm glad it has.

5 out of 5 stars Profoundly disturbing, but unfortunately a true story..........2006-11-22

I already knew about the horrible events of the Munich games and the deaths of the Israeli athletes at the hands of the fanatic Palestinians, but I was not aware that there were many opportunites to save the Israeli team, but were horribly bungled by the Germans.

This tragedy was preventable, but due to gross mishandling of this incident by the German authorities, every single Israeli hostage was killed.

This documentary will upset you, move you, anger you and ultimately make you ask the question every has asked...why?

4 out of 5 stars barbara tuchman might have called it "the guns of september".......2006-11-10

oh, what the heck can one say? the miscalculations by the germans, by the israelis, by the terrorists, by the media: if any of them had shown a bit more common sense, this horrific event might well have had a different outcome. half a century after world war 1, english theatrical producer joan littlewood caught the idiocy of all involved in "oh what a lovely war"; perhaps some day when the horrors of the middle east crises are behind us (ha ha ha), another artist will seize upon this bit of madness. a fine documentary if accepted as straight, but the underlying absurdity cant help but osmose through.

5 out of 5 stars Watch, learn and remember........2006-11-10

I recently saw this film on Bravo, and after viewing it immediately went online to Amazon to see if it was availble on DVD; it was, and I ordered it. I was only 10 years old when these events took place, and had only a vague recollection that something "bad" happened. To see the complete and total ineffectiveness and incompetence exhibited by the Germans in dealing with this crisis would be almost laughable if it hadn't produced such catastrophic and appalling results. I realize that at the time we in the west were relatively "newcomers" to terrorism and terrorist activities, but we were hardly babes in the woods. The idea that the Germans would refuse Israeli assistance when they had absolutely no idea of how to deal with this type of situation strikes one as though it must have been driven by pure ego. This film demonstrates in an unapologetic and unabashed way in microcosm what we are confronted with in the world today; emboldened Islamo-fascists who will demand 100% complete submission, surrender and conversion or your death. There was no negotiating with these extremists back in 1972 and if anything the situation has deteriorated. If there was a lesson that was learned from this tragedy it is that Germany formed GSG9, (their specialized anti-terrorist squad), as did many other western countries in the aftermath of this murderous catastrophe. That is small comfort I suspect, though, to the families and loved ones who paid the ultimate price to teach us this lesson. Golda Meir is quoted as having said "until they love their children, more than they hate us, we will not have peace". Today, we all can utter this quote with equal applicability.

By the way, before anyone might be tempted allege that I am Jewish and merely spouting rhetoric I am a Catholic-American of French, Lithuanian, Czech descent.

One last question that I have maybe someone can help me with. When I watched this film I began to wonder if the nation of Israel had participated in any olympic games since the summer of 1972, and I have not been able to find out the answer. Thanks.
One Day in September
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • This could be you and yours
  • Terror of an Olympic Proportion
  • Profoundly disturbing, but unfortunately a true story...
  • barbara tuchman might have called it "the guns of september"
  • Watch, learn and remember.
 One Day in September
Starring: Michael Douglas , Ankie Spitzer , Jamal Al Gashey , Gerald Seymour , and Alex Springer
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
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PoliticsPolitics | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
Jewish HeritageJewish Heritage | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
DocumentaryDocumentary | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video
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Similar Items:
  1. 21 Hours at Munich
  2. Sword of Gideon
  3. Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response
  4. Munich (Widescreen Edition)
  5. One Day in September: The Full Story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli Revenge Operation "Wrath of God"

ASIN: B000059H77
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Amazon.com essential video

On September 5, 1972, eight Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli athletes and took nine others hostage at the Munich Olympic Village. The event stopped the games, gripped the world, and perhaps for the first time fully illustrated the volatile state of affairs in the Mideast to the world. Kevin Macdonald's 1999 Academy Award(r)-winning documentary painstakingly reconstructs the events, shedding light on what the world saw on television with the exasperating revelation of behind-the-scenes blunders.

This visceral, tense film uses riveting news footage to great effect, weaving in affecting interviews. Macdonald mourns the deaths of the innocent Olympic hostages and dutifully gives a voice to the Palestinian cause through interviews with Jamal al-Gashey, the only survivor of the eight terrorists, who briefly came out of hiding for the film. He earnestly but half-heartedly sketches a picture of the social and political situation that fueled the act, reserving his anger for the grossly unprepared German police force. The tragedy that erupted at the Fürstenfeldbruck air base becomes all the more upsetting in light of the incompetence and unforgivable mistakes: botched rescues, poor planning, bad intelligence, and lack of contingency plans. Even the irresponsibility of the media circus gets off lightly. It's a sobering, angering, often frustrating piece of non-fiction cinema, a thorough piece of historical research brought to life with an angry immediacy. Macdonald simply doesn't know what lessons to draw from it all. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars This could be you and yours.......2007-03-12

There is much about this film that will revolt you: the way the film-makers try to be "even and balanced" by giving Jama Al Gashey (the surviving terrorist) yet another chance to portray himself as a hero; the way a German politician looks the camera in the eye and proclaims that he "liked Issa" (the negotiator for the terrorists and arguably the most revolting man of the lot); the non-stop laughter from another German politician which starts when he recounts that the Israelis wanted to send a team in (ha ha); the complete indifference of the Olympic Committee then and now (they just wanted the hostages moved from the Village so the Games could continue); the collusion between the German Government and the Palestinian terrorists and so much more.

But perhaps the most revolting thing about this admittedly engrossing movie is that the film-makers and the producers and everyone else involved in it just don't get it. They don't get that this could be their family tomorrow. It could be my family, it could be your family.

I wish there was another movie of the horror of 1972 that talked about the victims but (to the best of my knowledge) there isn't. And so (very reluctantly) I recommend it.

Watch it. Because this could be you and yours.

5 out of 5 stars Terror of an Olympic Proportion.......2007-03-05

I was in college from 1970-74 and I missed out on a lot of news during those years primarily because I rarely ever watched TV then. (There were far too many other things to do). I saw "Apollo 13" and wondered, Wow! When did that happen? Of course, when I realized it was during that time frame, I understood just how cut off I was. The Munich Olympics did not entirely escape my attention but I wasn't exactly an expert on the subject either. That is why I enjoyed the documentary "One Day in September" recently. I knew the basics but I hadn't realized that the whole story had so much more to it.

In "One Day in September", we are giving a step by step account of exactly what DID happen in Munich. In fact, after a good background intro, the film shows us the exact time of each incident or event as they ocurred. Much of the action (and inaction) is documented with newsreel footage of the times. There are a number of eyewitness interviews many of which appeared to have been conducted later for this film. The narration is limited and seems to have been used only to bridge sequences and/or inform us of background activities not otherwise documented by film or interview. Most of the information I saw I either never knew or had long forgotten. I am glad that I saw this film because I won't forget this again.

The film, I believe, actually opens with an on-camera interview with one of the perpetrators which had the eerie effect of letting us know that there was some element of "success" for the terrorists. The interview with this individual is interspliced throughout the movie and is quite helpful (although it may be bothersome to some that he survived the terrorist action). There are a number of interviews with German officials who seemed to have a knack for phrasing things in just the wrong way. Indeed, I recalled that the German government came off looking bad but I'd forgotten or didn't know just how bad. Things just seemed to get worse and worse largely due to the ineptitude of the German authorities.

Documentaries are often seen and then forgotten. Maybe there's a documentary channel somewhere I haven't heard about but I don't think so. "One Day in September" has reappeared recently on TV recently and I'm glad it has.

5 out of 5 stars Profoundly disturbing, but unfortunately a true story..........2006-11-22

I already knew about the horrible events of the Munich games and the deaths of the Israeli athletes at the hands of the fanatic Palestinians, but I was not aware that there were many opportunites to save the Israeli team, but were horribly bungled by the Germans.

This tragedy was preventable, but due to gross mishandling of this incident by the German authorities, every single Israeli hostage was killed.

This documentary will upset you, move you, anger you and ultimately make you ask the question every has asked...why?

4 out of 5 stars barbara tuchman might have called it "the guns of september".......2006-11-10

oh, what the heck can one say? the miscalculations by the germans, by the israelis, by the terrorists, by the media: if any of them had shown a bit more common sense, this horrific event might well have had a different outcome. half a century after world war 1, english theatrical producer joan littlewood caught the idiocy of all involved in "oh what a lovely war"; perhaps some day when the horrors of the middle east crises are behind us (ha ha ha), another artist will seize upon this bit of madness. a fine documentary if accepted as straight, but the underlying absurdity cant help but osmose through.

5 out of 5 stars Watch, learn and remember........2006-11-10

I recently saw this film on Bravo, and after viewing it immediately went online to Amazon to see if it was availble on DVD; it was, and I ordered it. I was only 10 years old when these events took place, and had only a vague recollection that something "bad" happened. To see the complete and total ineffectiveness and incompetence exhibited by the Germans in dealing with this crisis would be almost laughable if it hadn't produced such catastrophic and appalling results. I realize that at the time we in the west were relatively "newcomers" to terrorism and terrorist activities, but we were hardly babes in the woods. The idea that the Germans would refuse Israeli assistance when they had absolutely no idea of how to deal with this type of situation strikes one as though it must have been driven by pure ego. This film demonstrates in an unapologetic and unabashed way in microcosm what we are confronted with in the world today; emboldened Islamo-fascists who will demand 100% complete submission, surrender and conversion or your death. There was no negotiating with these extremists back in 1972 and if anything the situation has deteriorated. If there was a lesson that was learned from this tragedy it is that Germany formed GSG9, (their specialized anti-terrorist squad), as did many other western countries in the aftermath of this murderous catastrophe. That is small comfort I suspect, though, to the families and loved ones who paid the ultimate price to teach us this lesson. Golda Meir is quoted as having said "until they love their children, more than they hate us, we will not have peace". Today, we all can utter this quote with equal applicability.

By the way, before anyone might be tempted allege that I am Jewish and merely spouting rhetoric I am a Catholic-American of French, Lithuanian, Czech descent.

One last question that I have maybe someone can help me with. When I watched this film I began to wonder if the nation of Israel had participated in any olympic games since the summer of 1972, and I have not been able to find out the answer. Thanks.
Arthur Cohn Presents (American Dream/Behind the Sun/Black and White in Color/A Brief Vacation/Central Station/Dangerous Moves/The Garden of the Finzi-Continis/One Day in September/Two Bits)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Arthur Cohn Presents (American Dream/Behind the Sun/Black and White in Color/A Brief Vacation/Central Station/Dangerous Moves/The Garden of the Finzi-Continis/One Day in September/Two Bits)
    Starring: Fernanda Montenegro , Marília Pêra , Vinícius de Oliveira , Soia Lira , and Othon Bastos
    Director: Walter Salles , Vittorio De Sica , and Kevin Macdonald
    Manufacturer: Homevision
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

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    ASIN: B0001689WY
    Release Date: 2004-02-24

    Description

    In the history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Arthur Cohn has received more Oscars® than any other producer. He is the only foreign film producer to have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Home Vision Entertainment is proud to present this unique collection of highly acclaimed films produced by the legendary Arthur Cohn, available exclusively from HVe in this special nine-disc collector's set.

    Assembled and distributed by Home Vision Entertainment, this homage to Academy Award™-winning Producer Arthur Cohn is an unprecedented collaboration among Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Classics, Paramount Pictures,
    Universal Studios, Miramax Studios, and Buena Vista's Home Entertainment Group.

    This unique set features the following films, produced by Arthur Cohn, on DVD:
    American Dream, Behind the Sun, Black and White in Color, Sky Above Mud Below, A Brief Vacation ,The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, One Day in September, Two Bits, and Dangerous Moves



    Oscar™ and Academy Award™ are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
    One Day in September [Region 2]
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		One Day in September [Region 2]
      Starring: Michael Douglas , Ankie Spitzer , Jamal Al Gashey , Gerald Seymour , and Alex Springer
      Director: Kevin Macdonald
      ProductGroup: DVD
      Binding: DVD

      Douglas, MichaelDouglas, Michael | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
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      ( O )( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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      ASIN: B0000560FF

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