| The
Tunnel
Written
by Johannes W. Betz Starring:
Heino Ferch, Nicolette Krebitz, Sabastian Koch, Alexandra Maria
Lara, and Uwe Kockisch In
German with English subtitles The
Tunnel, which was broadcast on German television in 2001 and screened
at Los Angeles’ Made in Germany festival later that year,
is finally seeing a long-overdue—albeit limited—run
on U.S. screens this year, leading up to its DVD release on October
4. Set in 1961, during the early stages of the Berlin Wall’s
construction, The Tunnel takes a miraculous true story of courage
and conviction, and improbably, finds a cinematic middle ground
between the thrill-a-minute popcorn suspense of The Fugitive and
Schindler's List’s harrowing, heart-wrenching account of
lamentable recent history. Written
for the screen by Johannes W. Betz, The Tunnel centers on East
German freestyle swimmer Harry Melchior (Heino Ferch), a newly
crowned national champion who previously served four years in
prison for his opposition to the Communist government. Harry holds
a grudge against the regime and intends to flee, despite assurances
from government officials that top athletes will be rewarded with
good housing and a decent salary. Harry’s close friend,
Matthis Hiller (Sabastian Koch), an engineer who fears the ramifications
of East Berlin’s separation from the West, escapes with
a group to West Germany through the sewers, but is separated from
his wife in the frenzy. With the aid of his trusted comrades on
the West German side, Matthis arranges Harry’s exit through
Checkpoint Charlie with a disguise and fake passport. But Matthis’
emigration has left his wife Carola (Claudia Michelsen) vulnerable
to pressures and interrogation from Colonel Kruger (Uwe Kockisch),
a state security official who investigates illegal emigration. Harry
is hell-bent on finding a way to sneak his sister Lotte (Alexandra
Maria Lara) and her daughter Ina across the border safely, but
they too become the prey of Kruger subsequent to Harry’s
disappearance. Harry and Matthis, who is equally determined to
reunite with Carola on the West German side, concoct a plan to
dig a 145-meter tunnel underneath the Berlin Wall. By luck, they
find an abandoned factory near the Wall that has a cellar where
they can break ground, and Matthis’ engineering expertise
proves to be crucial, but the task is daunting and could take
years without outside help. Harry begrudgingly agrees to recruit
10 more diggers who have hopes of bringing loved ones across,
but among 32 potential emigrants and 15 diggers, any number of
snitches could surface. One of the diggers brought on board is
the feisty young Fritzi (Nicolette Krebitz), who has a fiancée
on the other side, with whom she exchanges secret notes of encouragement
along the emerging Wall. But as family members of Harry and Matthis
are singled out and blackmailed by Colonel Kruger, so as to divulge
the escapees’ intentions, the excavation turns out to be
not only a longshot logistically, but also a race against exhausted
funds and Kruger’s discovery of the tunnel, which has jeopardized
the safety of those involved on both sides. Director
Roland Suso Richter masterfully negotiates the emotional stakes
invested in his characters’ sacrifices with the visceral
excitement of the outlandish plot taking shape. Informants are
no less human in this film than the heroes, and seemingly everyone
has something to lose in their frighteningly absurd circumstances,
even the villainous Colonel Kruger. One way or another, these
characters must confront themselves and their actions, whether
in the innocent faces of their offspring, a reflection in a dresser
mirror, or in a bathtub with a razor blade. A breathtaking
sequence occurs when a young East German soldier guns down another
young man as he attempts to hop the Wall. The soldier's hesitation
is prolonged by imminent regret, and the horror of his savage
act is so burdensome that it can only be released with further
aggression. Richter depicts this scene metaphorically, from both
sides of the Wall as well as above it, looking down. On
the flip side, The Tunnel also is largely an escape film of the
action genre, and cinematographer Martin Langer does exceptional
work, heightening the suspense by capturing chases illuminated
by flashlights in dark sewers, or steering through the dim, claustrophobic
confines of the tunnel itself. Ferch, as Harry, square-jawed and
grimed through much of the picture, assumes the persona of the
tragic action hero who leads with his chest and speaks more with
intense glares than words. Despite
being a true story, and a remarkable one at that, The Tunnel can't
seem to resist some Hollywood contrivances, and certain convenient
plot developments were likely manufactured to keep the film under
three hours.* But there are also welcome, sometimes romantic,
respites from the persistent tension, including some stunning
location shots. Early rock n’ roll is played on the West
side of the border, where Harry and Fritzi enjoy a night out at
a dance hall. And in another scene, two diggers happen upon a
location shoot for Escape From East Berlin, which actually was
filmed in Berlin at the time of these events. This leads to a
plotline involving NBC contributing finances toward the tunnel's
completion. NBC did in fact air an episode of the documentary-format
NBC White Paper featuring the characters portrayed in The Tunnel.
Great
stories often don't have the fortune of resulting in great movies,
but The Tunnel’s filmmakers keep their end of the bargain,
revisiting an unfortunate era of our not-so-distant past with
a solemn eye, while also evoking the luster of cinema treasures
like Grand Illusion and The Great Escape along the way. The
Tunnel is currently playing at Laemmle’s Fairfax 3. www.laemmle.com *The two-part German television version of The Tunnel is said to be about 20 minutes longer than the theatrical release. If that version elaborates on The Tunnel’s intriguing back story—which feels a bit rushed—then it would be an essential addition to the DVD.
Under the Radar Film Review Rating Guide
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