Balloon
Directed by:
Michael HerbigCinematography:
Torsten BreuerCast:
Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, David Kross, Alicia von Rittberg, Thomas Kretschmann, Jonas Holdenrieder, Tilman Döbler, Christian Näthe, Till Patz (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
1979, East Germany at the height of the Cold War. Two ordinary families yearning for freedom secretly form a great escape plan to the get across to the West: with courage and ingenuity as their main weapons, they construct a hot-air balloon out of small pieces of material so that their eight family-members can fly over the Berlin Wall. But an initial failure puts their entire plan in jeopardy, setting off a dangerous race against time for a second attempt, with the East German State Police now hot on their heels... An incredible and gripping true story of resistance. (Berlinale)
(more)Videos (2)
Reviews (5)
Nothing revolutionary, but it is solid craftsmanship, with good production design, sometimes suspenseful moments, decent actors – especially the mustachioed Thomas Kretschmann is a truly delectable villain. For a German production, it is also technically and musically well done. Although Balloon suffers from that crazy linguistic wreck called German, the language also adds to its authenticity. Once again the cold atmosphere of Berlin is perfectly captured.
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The story seemingly feels like it's pulled out of thin air, which makes it even more surprising that it's based on a true event. The first half is solidly paced and there is no shortage of tension, helped by the dramatically constructed music. In the second half, the plot occasionally drags a bit, but it's still worth watching the film through to the end. (75%)
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Balloon offers two thrilling hours that take us back forty years to a time when freedom was not a given and had to be fought for. The proof is in this story of two families whose determination and bravery allowed them to defy the system and fight for that very freedom. The film has an action-packed momentum from the very beginning, with the plot gradually escalating to a nerve-wracking finale that had me on tenterhooks. It's hard for a person of my generation to imagine what it was like to live in those times, but this film (and others like it) brings them to life in an authentic way, intimately portraying that difficult era. I have no complaints when it comes to the cast, likewise the recreation of the late 1970s. Michael Bully Herbig proves that he has a flair for dramatic stories in addition to his comic spirit.
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The Germans pulled it off again. A decently made Cold War historical thriller about a family trying to escape across the border via a homemade hot air balloon. An original film with likeable characters and an unexpectedly decent amount of suspense. A pleasant surprise. 75%.
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Before visiting Berlin last year, I decided that I needed to watch a good film about German history. Although it's more of a coincidence that this particular piece fell onto my screen today thanks to one of the users here, I think I can check off this "task". It was a nerve-wracking experience, but I don't regret it one bit. Nicely written, acted, and filmed. 4.5 stars.
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