Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
The full story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli revenge operation 'Wrath of God.' The 1972 Munich Olympics were interrupted by Palestinian terrorists taking Israeli athletes hostage. Besides footage taken at the time, we see interviews with the surviving terrorist, Jamal Al Gashey, and various officials detailing exactly how the police, lacking an anti-terrorist squad and turning down help from the Israelis, botched the operation.
One Day in September is a gripping, Oscar-winning documentary that reconstructs the 1972 Munich massacre with rare archival footage and a genuinely shocking exclusive interview with the sole surviving terrorist, Jamal Al Gashey. The plot construction is exceptional — methodically building tension while exposing the catastrophic failures of German authorities with damning clarity, earning a top mark. The ending revelation of how Germany quietly released the surviving terrorists is genuinely outrageous and lands with real force. Cinematography is competent for its era but relies heavily on archival material, limiting what the filmmakers could control. Novelty is solid — the Gashey interview was unprecedented and the film has a distinctive thriller-documentary pacing — but it operates within an established documentary form. Acting is not applicable in the traditional sense; interviewee performances and the narration (Kevin Spacey) are effective but not a standout element.