September 5 Blu-ray review

Feb 14, 2025- Permalink

September 5, from director Tim Fehlbaum, takes us back to the Munich Summer Olympics in 1972. ABC was beaming the games via satellite for the first time. That was a technologically newsworthy event in itself, but even more pressing news was about to unfold. The Black September group had taken Israeli athletes hostage in the Olympic Village. What was a sports first became a news first: a terrorist stand-off beamed live around the world. The cast of the film is led by Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch. Paramount has now released the movie on Blu-ray and I had a chance to take a look.

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The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The film sets you in the time with a look and grain that makes it feel like it was shot in the 1970s. The image is crisp, the colour palette is muted, and the whole look makes the film feel like a contemporary documentary following the network’s coverage of this tragic event.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French, and Spanish. A lot of the movie takes place within the four walls of the production booth and the surrounds place you firmly in the middle with ambient noise throughout the soundscape. Low-end is used sparingly but effectively. The dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix.

The September 5 Blu-ray also includes a digital code. There are no special features which, given the historical importance of this event, is a shame.

September 5 brings us the story of the Munich Olympics with a great cast and excellent AV presentation. Recommended.