Thursday Film Picks- Berlin Wall

 

I have always had a fascination with this wall probably because my mom escaped from the East to the West, but not over this famous wall. She escaped an hour's drive south since she lived near Wittenberg. It was just guard towers and barbed wire and, yeah, she would have been shot if found, but not near Berlin. This infamous wall did not actually appear until August 1961 and went up, literally overnight. Over the years there were many who tried to escape, some made it, others did not. I remember when I was a kid, I heard, on the news, that a husband and wife, with their small child, jumped into the Spree River creating quite the calamity because the Stazi were shooting at them. The police, in the West, held their guns ready, in case the Stazi shot at the family when they reached the West. Unbelievably, they made it! It was a dumb move because most who tried that route died. I never forgot that nor my parents’ reaction to their bravery..or stupidity, taking that route with a babe. Sadly, most people don't even know about this wall and the political upheaval, but I watch whatever I can about this time. Here are 3 films about this divided city...

1. THE MAN BETWEEN-1953

This is one of my favourite films, starring James Mason and Claire Bloom, right after the Second World War in Berlin. Claire's brother works for the British consulate, married to a German and lives in one of the few homes left standing. She is visiting her brother and appears quite naive but she soon sees her sis in law talking with a mysterious man, Mason, and is intrigued. Soon, you find out that Mason is an agent for the East Germans because they know too much about him. They want him to bring back the brother's wife but, a case if mistaken identity happens and the British sister is taken. This could become a national incident, but, as often as it happened, the Stazi would just say they have no one with them by that name. Mason decides to bring her back but, at what cost? It's a riveting picture shot in Berlin when you see how ravaged it was by all the bombs. I love the music, the acting and the cinematography. It is worth seeing.

2. ESCAPE FROM EAST BERLIN-1962

I have not seen this film in decades but it still resonates with me. It's based on true events about a huge, daring escape using a tunnel. A U.S. soldier and an East German guard decide to bring across the German's sister and a couple of others but, it expands to more people( including Werner Klemperer better known as Colonel Klink from Hogan's Heroes). The soldier and the sister fall in love while digging the tunnel. It is a tense film that is well played out since this actual event recently happened.

3. BERLIN TUNNEL 21-1981

Ok this is not the TV film starring Richard Thomas but I could not find a trailer for it, sadly. I thought this is the next best thing. This is a TV remake of the film I talk about above but I like it so much that I had to include it. There are a few variations here but, overall, it's a taut movie with some really good acting especially by Richard Thomas, who was mainly known as John-Boy from "The Waltons". I'd like to see this movie again because I saw it back when it appeared on TV. It looks like I can see it on YouTube so I might check it out again.

Any films about the Berlin Wall you saw?