September 5 is an excellent, serious look at the Munich Olympics terrorist attack and the journalists that broadcasted it to the world.

The year was 1972, the Olympics had returned to Germany for the first time since Hitler’s 1936 edition and the country was trying to reintroduce itself to the world after World War II.

To do so, huge sums of money were invested to ensure the most modern technology was used and that an international audience could watch every event live and in colour for the first time.

That proved very popular for major moments, like when swimmer Mark Spitz won a then-record seven gold medals. It also meant, however, that there was unprecedented global live coverage of the Black September terrorist attack.

Black September, a Palestinian terrorist organisation, infiltrated the Olympic Village and took members of Israel’s Olympic team hostage – eventually killing eleven athletes and coaches.

The hostage situation, failed rescue attempts and police operations all took place over a near 24-hour period, over which time live news updates were being sent around the world.

It has been estimated that 900-million people watched the coverage.

September 5 is set in the ABC control room, from where the network’s Olympic coverage originated. The team of sports journalists have to pivot to hard-hitting breaking news and we see the wins and losses that they encounter along the way.

On one hand, they are breaking a major story and find interesting ways to overcome technical problems like translation, filming issues and even dividing up limited network spots. They are also clearly out of their depth at times, prematurely sharing information and sending inexperienced staff into risky situations.

We see every overtired, strung-out decision made by the control team that is just trying to the best it can in a difficult situation. The major ramifications of every choice adds tension to every scene and I found myself rapt throughout. That feeling is helped by strong performances from a rock-solid cast led by Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro.

This movie is as much about the media as it is Munich, so don’t go in expecting a blow-by-blow of the terrorist situation. As a portrait of the importance of good journalism however, September 5 is a great watch.

Rated PG-13 for Language and Violence.

4/5.

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