User Reviews

The film itself is okay except for the usual flaws of German cinema: the same range of actors that you see in every other film; occasional bad acting and bad dialogue script-wise. Other than that it's okay to watch if you're into that sort of thing. What's really annoying though is that it follows a recent and quite ugly trend to use soundtracks from well-known blockbuster movies, in this case 'Elizabeth - The Golden Age'. From a cinéaste point of view, it's both disturbing and annoying to see the pictures that originally belong to this music overlaid with something else. The music from the fight against the Spanish Armada was used for the final, dramatic scene when the villagers cross the green border, plus loving reunion scene between husband and wife - I see burning ships and Queen Elizabeth standing on a mountain summit with her hair free in the wind. I'm not even sure the proper fees were paid or permission asked for the using of this music. It's an annoying habit that I hope will stop.

This is a movie i came to see accidentally by zapping on the TV. And i had to see it all. It is very exciting, with a good build-up and some twists also. This is a film on the same level as "Goodbye Lenin" and "The lives of the others" with the same authenticity. I will recommend it to all for the good acting, the very good feeling of DDR in the sixties, the very good filming, and the convincing set. If it was a American movie it would have been a major hit. German really matches American and English movies in all aspects, and the fact that the actors are a little bit unknown to foreign viewers, just helps the feeling of real people and their lives. Don't miss this if you like a good, nerve spinning thriller based on historical events.