September 5 Movie Summery

 

"September 5: It takes viewers back in time to 1972 in a television control room, where ABC Sports broadcasters face an unprecedented crisis: gunmen from the Palestinian militant group Black September have infiltrated the Olympic village, leading to the deaths of two Israeli athletes and the hostage-taking of nine others. Society has struggled with such tragedies for over five decades. There have been instances of continuous coverage lasting several days, making it challenging for younger audiences to comprehend a time when such events were not broadcast. The film effectively captures the chaos through a modern perspective and instills a sense of urgency. However, it ultimately simplifies the complex historical and political context, primarily presenting the incident as a lesson in media ethics.

This event marked a groundbreaking moment in televised history. It took time to realize that while the world could witness certain aspects of the crisis live, the gunmen were also able to observe the coverage, adapt their tactics in response to police actions, and engage in political theatrics for an audience exceeding a billion viewers.

The ABC Sports team, led by network executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard), opts to retain control of the coverage rather than transferring the story to the news division for remote reporting. This decision allowed them to maintain a central role throughout the crisis, which unfolded throughout just under a day. Arledge is one of two somewhat familiar figures in television news featured in this account, alongside future network anchor Peter Jennings. While Arledge makes intermittent appearances, Jennings ultimately serves as a voice-only presence, reporting from the Olympic Village without camera access, akin to a radio journalist. Regrettably, Jennings' role is limited in this manner, as his expertise in Middle Eastern politics and insight into the Palestinian perspective could have enriched the narrative.

The details of TV production in the early 1970s, such as creating new logos using pictures and art supplies, filming them with a video camera, and rapidly producing 16mm film of events to be shown on live TV, are the subject of the film's most in-depth examination. "September 5 flixtor tor" is an excellent process film in this particular sense.