Go West (4½ Stars)

Whoever said that made-for-television films are inferior to real films needs to watch this masterpiece. Three hours long, and not boring for one second. Excitement from beginning to end. While the film certainly isn't intended to be a documentary it's very authentic, showing us a case that could have happened. It's a must-watch film for older Germans who are suffering from "Ostalgie" (nostalgia for the good old times in Communist Germany).

The year is 1984. Frank, Alex and Thomas are three friends in Brandenburg who have just finished school. Frank is planning a career as an actor. Thomas has been conscripted for military service. Alex has recently been judged unfit for military service due to diabetes and isn't yet sure what work he will do.

Military service usually lasts 18 months in East Germany, but when Thomas is told he will have to serve for three years he decides to flee to West Germany together with Alex. Initially Frank only intends to drive them to the border and return home, but after a confrontation with border soldiers on the way he decides to go with them. The initial plans to cross into West Berlin fail after they're discovered, and a long journey begins through Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia. Every step of the way they're pursued by East German agents, and they have to deal with underground fighters who are just as ruthless as the authorities. To make things more complicated, Frank's father is a member of the secret police and is one of the agents pursuing the three boys.

This film is universally praised by critics in Germany for its authenticity and cinematic quality. It's a tragedy that it's never been released outside of Germany, and the German DVD edition doesn't have any subtitles at all, not even German. "Go West" is a film that ought to be made available to a wider audience.