I just saw the cinema version of Carlos, which runs close to 3 hours. I would recommend this film if you enjoyed Che (parts 1 & 2) and Merine (parts 1 & 2). The long running time allows for an expansive narrative, London, Vienna, Paris, Berlin, Khartoum; its like a Rough Guide to 1970's terrorism. Edgar Ramirez is excellent in the lead role, better looking than the actual Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, he piles on the pounds a la De Niro in Raging Bull. I don't know what was left out in the cinema edit, and I was left wondering how a Venezuelan national ended up as a central figure in the Palestinian PLFP. Some of the biggest crimes in the film are the 1970's fashion statements, Afghan coats, leather jacket/shirt & tie combos, and the obligatory berets. Carlos's testicular ailments take up as much screen time as his famous OPEC siege of 1975. I wonder if the inevitable "Osama Bin Laden" biopic will likewise focus on his kidney dialysis as a metaphor for his spiritual decline? Oh, the soundtrack is killer too.
Review of Carlos
