Das Versprechen

Plot synopsis:
In August 1961 the world was already divided, but no one ever dreamt of the long border reaching its full height. Moscow had the copyright for the concept and execution, and German firms delivered the barbed wire. An unjust regime has committed a new injustice, the west protested, threatened, and lamented, but the wall grew. All the arteries between the two halves of the city were served. To the people on both sides, separated by a few hundred meters between East & West became the longest strip of land in the world. So began the strangest experiments in history. A people who once made enough to rule the world became two. Soon the only the wall supported the illusion: All that divide Germany was a Wall.The open sequence of the film follows a group of friends Konrad, Sophie, Max; Wolfgang, and Monika have all devised a way to cross the Berlin Wall without detection. The group maneuvers the sewer systems armed with the clothes on their back, a flashlight, and a map etched on the palm of their hand. The group must work under cover of darkness, all in mist of rotating patrols monitoring the wall. In act of urgency the group makes their way to the strategic sewer entrance to make the journey of smelly lower Germany. As Sophie, Max, Wolfgang, and Monika make their decent into the sewer Konrad is forced to seal the entrance because of approaching army patrols. Sophie would not go without Konard, but he assures her that he make the journey at a later date. Sophie and the rest of the group press on with their objectives of reaching the other side of the wall. On the surface Konrad is confronted by his parents who were out surveying the streets, fearing that he might have picked up from one of the circling patrols for trying escape over wall. Father and son embrace and is than rebuked for failure to tell his parents where he had gone, or what he was planning to do. In the fathers anger, he informs the authorities that his son as been found after searching for him through out most of night. Meanwhile Sophie and her cohorts navigate their way through waste infested sewers of Germany. Many are found covering their noises with scarfs with little resistance to the smell. After some considerable time the group finally makes it to her aunts house. Sophie and her and embrace, after not hearing from one another for days. Sophie reassures her and that despite traveling through the sewers of Germany they all made it out okay. When Sophie begins to inquire about Conrad Sophie informs her that he will be joining the group at a later date.We next see Konrad seated motionless while a police is going the details of his capture. His conclusion is that the maximum for boarder crossing has a maximum penalty of five years. Thus an interrogation ensues where the inspector begins to explain that you no matter how hard he tried he, and all his friends would be caught. He then begins to tell Konrad insight Sophie, Max, Wolfgang and Monika have all been captured and detained by the government. Next he inquires about whom in the group had the drawing for the sewer system? Throughout the entire interrogation Konrad has not said a single word. His only gesture in the entire scene comes when he told tie his one shoelace on his left shoe. The inspector proceeds to tell Konrad how he must feel at that exact moment in time, similar to a caged animal wanting to be set free. The interrogator than tells him the true nature of why boarders were erected, to prevented East and West Germany could stop from shooting one another. He than acknowledges his disappointed that he had to attempt to cross borders, like so many others, and it was a shame he nor his comrades could be convinced of a lager understanding of why the wall was ever erected in the first place.We now enter the apartment of Konrad and his parents. Konrad and his sister have grown anxious to know weather Sophie, Max. Wolfgang, and Monika were successful in their attempt to make it across boarders while avoiding all detection. Several hours have passed since Konrad saw Sophie, Max, Wolfgang, and Monika since the night of their escape. Konrad is found pleading his sister to contact the parents to ensure Sophie did make it across the boarder safely. Simone calmly assures Konrad that if the family had gotten a phone call, such an outcome would have confirmed the group might have been captured. This is the one scenario Konrad fears the most without a phone contact Konrad has no confirmation that Sophie is even alive and if might not see her ever again. Simone then lifts the head of her brother and makes him a promise that Sophie would contact him very soon, and the Wall not last long.In this next scene we are exposed to a fashion we Sophie has been made in charge of helping models dress for a small fashion show for a small group of designers and clients alike. The fashion is much sophisticated then your average shopper of the day. Sophie has made herself at home with her aunt who has giving her something to smile about. In the middle of the fashion show, the stepfather of Sophie has paid a visit the aunt on suspicion that Sophie might have made it across and is staying with her and hiding out. Since the wall was erected, any civilians trying to jump over the wall without proper documentation will be reprehend and sent back or are shot. Sophie aunt reassures her stepfather that she came over for her desire to work in the industry, and so that is way she gave the chance to come and work for her as an assistant. The Stepfather only reason for his coming is so he and Sophie might have a chance to talk. Once alone in Sophie makes it clear that she has no desire to go back with him. After her father committed suicide in prison Sophie was sent to live with him. Given the tension in the scene, in is made clear their relationship with one another is rocky at best. The stepfather only wants her to go back with him because it is unlawful for any German citizen to be any portion of East and West Berlin without proper documentation.	Following this there is a brief encounter between German investigators and the mother of Sophie. After an ongoing investigation into her sudden disappearance, authorities have come to inform her that Sophie has crossed boarder lines illegally, and by doing so, she has now declared herself as part of the enemy. Her mother remains committed to the understanding that all she wanted to do was visit her aunt and return home in just a few days time. The police affirm that because she chose to cross any part of the boarder without official authorization, she has now declared herself an enemy of Germany. Her mother is now being ordered to severe all contact between herself and Sophie. If she were to continue having correspondences with Sophie, she would also constitute herself as a member of the enemy.Sophie and her Aunt are each revisiting old photos of when Sophie was just a little girl. Both of them have made the same distinction that in every picture the two of them ever took together, they always could see the two of them always holding hands. Sophie then makes the point that when she was a child, and even to the present day, her aunt said Sophie would always be her Aunt special little girl. In this same setting Sophie make another for her to pin a letter to her expressing her love for her. The Aunt said, should would if she could. With all prestige and money she ever made. Sophie was the one her Aunt loved most. This scene is followed by a short sequence of Sophie swinging back and forth on a swing set hug from a tree as her aunt looks on through the living room of the house. Konrad standing still in contemplation about what he will be doing with life until he knows his beloved Sophie is back in his arms forever. Following this Konrad pivots around and finds himself staring at an arching bridge with a passing train.We next hear the shouting of orders of what to do if any civilian try and jump over the wall. The German Army has established border patrol units to monitor the wall around the clock. This is the first of its kind, and to the Germans is the most humane way to police and cut down on then number of people making attempts to hurdle the wall. Those who do not choose to follow these new regulations are considered a member of the enemy. The scene is a small band of patrol officers running through the drill of Stop, do not move or I will shoot! The solider is than to run an stab the escapee with his basinet in both the right and left lung. Konrad is one of the men required to take part in this drill. As the drill makes his way down the first line of boys, he comes to a boy, as it is his to simulate the drill. The boy can only muster the words, stop dont move. This only irritates the drill instructor and reminds him, he is a solder. The orders are, find capture and destroy. When the boy is told to carry on, he boy can only say stop, dont move1 The instructor then approaches him and says, Are you against Peace? Fall out! With a single act, a feeling is placed within the heart of Konard, the strongest example for change is silent disobedience.This is follow by a span of the wall. The wall is out fitted with guards stationed all along the wall acting as surveillance for the patrols down below. Next we see and hear a series of two pre-recorded forms of propaganda media transmitted on two moving trucks with megaphones one side of the wall is calling for the end of the wall and the oppression of the German people. On the flipside of all that there is opposition propaganda calling for the reform of East Germany, there is only one group of Germany that will survive such a war, and those are those members of the socialist party. Solders layer all of this radio propaganda up above the wall, and those on the ground monitoring checkpoints of those approaching the wall and than waving to family members across the wall. The soldier maintains a watchful eye one the slightest gesture could initiate a possible attempt to hurdle the wall. Patrol guards understand that if its see the actions of its laws taking affect, the chances of one, or large number of civilians hurdling the wall is greatly reduced by having such measures in place. Konrad knows in his mind and heart that he be given a chance to be re-united with his beloved Sophie one day very soon.We next enter the Konrad dinning room during a family meal. The subject has turned to the topic of why Konrad was put on the border to serve out his probation for him choosing not to participate in the drill exercise that was talked earlier. The family seems a bit on edge because of why Konrad was assigned to border patrol in the first place. The family discussion becomes heated as everyone professes their own opinion as to why the family has become so argumentative since every sibling in the Konrad household has been affected in by the presence of the wall, in one way or another.We come to a moment now where Konrad has been asked to work the night shift. In the silence of the night Konrad tries to make a run for it over the wall without detection. He know that is as good of an opportunity he might ever get. Through his binoculars he surveys the distance from the guard shack to the wall. He then turns and calls for his partner Ouve, who is sleeping on his watch. After a second of calling his name, Konrad quietly as possible begins his slow descent from the guard tower to the base of the tower. Check the observation window a final time he makes his way towards the wall. When the end is in sight Konrad recognizes a familiar command Stop, or I will shoot! as Konrad turns both he and his partner are a bit confused on what to make of the events that had just transpired. Ovue, is bound to know why Konrad was running from the guard shack. Konrad reported he something moved towards the wall to investigate. Ouve then responded that he would have report Konrad for regulation practices. Konrad was also quick to remind Ovue, that he should be reported for sleep on his watch. That is an offense also worthy of investigating.We now sift to Sophie and her comrades who are all gathered around the television listen to the lasts reports on those attempts that have tried and failed. The news report advised its listening audience to exercise caution when contemplating a boarder crossing. The Report also makes a strong emphasis against building tunnels for the simple fact that no matter how well constructed they may appear to be, it would only take a moment to have it all come cashing down. The final comment the report did make was, there would come a day, where there be no wall.Next is a scene of reuniting of Max, Sophie, and Wolfgang and Monika. Max has made it a job of providing worthy patrons safe passage across the border while avoiding detection. Word has reached Max about the relationship between her and responsibility of maintaining his position as a boarder patrol officer would a bit more for anyone to handle. Max inquires of Sophie, what if Konrad would not want to come back? Sophie just knew that he Konrad would just about anything to see Sophie in his arms again.
We next meet Konrad at the train station surveying the trains as they pull into the station. We then see a man in black leather scanning a photograph of Konrad and Sophie, at which point, the man strategically walks past Konrad as to not make anything suspicious. The two men exit the station together headed two the street. The conversation was brief instruction on the plan is to follow through. There is no turning back now. If Konrad sticks to the plan, Konrad would be reunited with his beloved Sophie in no time. Later that same afternoon as Konrad was exiting a railway car. Konrd becomes a first hand witness to a pubic abduction of women by two men and shoved into the back seat of an unmarked car that was following a second lead car. The cause of the cause for the kidnapping and the two unmarked vehicle is yet to be determined.We next meet up with Sophie who is working a fashion show when Wolfgang has come to inform her about the groups latest attempt to crossing proved to be a failure, as only the first five members of group made passage safely. When Sophie asked if Konrad had made it as one of the first five, his only response was, he was lucky that he never showed up. Sophie simply did not want to belief what she had been told. She had to put this all behind here, as she was in the middle of a fashion show. It was not until after the show that Sophie found a couch, for now, she was convinced that Konrad had really been captured. There is also fear within Sophie might never be able see ever again. The next scene is simply acts as a continuation of the pervious one. The only difference this time it is Konrad who is found out sobbing for witnessing the kidnapping of that girl and no being able to do anything to stop it for fear that his true identity is discovered and might be the one who is forced to slave around for amusement of everyone else.We now transition to the summer of 1968, where Konrad has been sent to work for the Astronomy institute in Potsdam under the tutelage of the ability to do research and build a resume of credits to his name without have to have fear of his true identity being discovered. During all his years in the observatory. Konrad also changed his first name to conceal his connection within any and all ties with the people of Germany. Over his tenor there, he had learned to establish a theory and build such a machine that could demonstrate the practical application of Herr Richter Dynamo theory and has been in asked to give a lecture at the IAU Conservatory in Prague. The lecture would to explain the appearance of sunspots. Before leaving for Prague Konrad meets up his Barbra and her friend to share his excitement about going to Prague for the first. His trip will not just be about business, it will also to surprise Sophie with a letter in a sealed envelope with the goal being to ask her to marry him.Once in Prague According to the letter that are to meet in front of the statue with three statues. After some time has passed Sophie asked a store clerk where the specific statues were located. As it turned out the statue of three was really a statue of four. It didnt long after that to find one another after that, because when they did, their embrace was a firm as it ever was. It simply became a joy to be together again at last. Over dinner set all the uncertainties right again. After dinner the two ran circling the fancy hotel and for the time in each of Konrad & Sophie enjoy a night of intercourse.Following day Konrad is late arriving at his presentation. Upon arriving at the seminar, his friend and has all ready taking the liberty to start explaining many of the information contained on the slides. Once Konrad arrives he simply picks up where his friend Edward Lornez had finished. Once sitting the down a friends of the doctor, suggests that he tri and find out as much as he can about them. So at the conclusion of the seminar the doctor invites the two of them for a drink. During their time the good doctor learns all he can about his two young friends, this in turn puts Konrad and Sophie a bit on edge, because they do not want to give away information that would expose them and be sent back to Germany.Next we find Konrad and Sophie and a historian and discussing new theories relative to the sun energy. Next we see the three friends at a dance club enjoying a bit of fun dancing to up tempo song of rock in roll. That night Konrad and Sophie are awakened to the sound of breaking glass, and the rumbling of German tanks that have made their way into the streets of. Konrad and Sophie look on, as they are not sure what the future from this moment on. At the break of day, citizens have taken the streets trying to collect any information as to way the tanks are present-many people are simply obtain and the scene is simply utter chaos. In the next sequence of scenes images and audio recordings relieve the events of the riots that broke out that year in 1968. We than transition back into the sequence of our story. After all that has transpired the last few days, small numbers of people have began to assemble in response to those Germans who sacrifice their lives for a cause. Standing of a government building a group of silent protesters with signs are approached by German police officials and asked what is the meaning of this small gathering? The simple reply is, in memory of those who have already die as a result of such a war. The reaction from the police is standard, all citizens who assemble in opposition to the to the affairs of the government will be sent to detained with out any further argument. Any that should resist will be taken by force.

Tags: violence, murder

Review:
Recent German History summed up in compelling drama.
THE PROMISE (Das Versprechen) by Margarethe von Trotta is must viewing.
There is no easier and more entertaining manner to understand recent German, and Central European, history than by watching this film.
It plays very well on video, and the interesting locales and action will excite those who dislike subtitles.
THE PROMISE is an epic drama focusing on divisions: in love, in a nation, in its capital city, in its politics, and in love.
Indeed a love story is the vehicle used for this extraordinary epic, recounting the three decades between the Berlin Wall's first barbed wire, and its fall.
Some critics, forgetting what a historical epic requires, dismiss the film as cliche-ridden.
Well, of course, "War and Peace", "Gone with the Wind", "Dr. Zhivago", were successful due to the use of composite characters or cliches.
These are necessary to explain history in a medium like the cinema.
Ms. von Trotta is to be congratulated not only for this and other great political films (i.e."Rosa Luxemburg") but for being one of the only German filmmakers to tackle the controversial topic of German reunification.
A declared socialist from Western Germany, Ms von Trotta lends the film a point of view that is as unbiased as I can imagine.
Don't miss it.
A lot of people did because of the film's timing.
The last thing I guess most Germans wanted to see at the movies in 1994 was a reminder of the results of reunification.
For this reason, this great film was unfairly denied its place in European Film History..
Incredibly realistic.
As the film covers 30 years, the key emotional points of such a story are incredibly accurate.
The film's tone is brilliantly handled, the delicate weakening of the spirit, the darkening of the world, the East buildings subtly not changing but getting older while the West becomes subtly more modern.
Unless one lived through much of the story, much may be missed.
But every detail is important.
Credit to the director, the writer and the actors for incredible performances: the repressed anger, the repressed joy, the repressed hope...
everything just below the surface.
Forever, the question, who could have done what differently?
There was never an answer then, and there is no answer now..
this movie doesn't break its promise of being great.
Portraying several friends separated by the Berlin Wall, "Das Versprechen" - called "The Promise" in English - hits you right where it hurts.
I thought that it was very interesting how the movie picks up about every ten years, showing the historical context each time (specifically the sign saying "Victory to the Vietnamese Revolution" in 1968, during Prague Spring).
To my generation, the Berlin Wall remains part of history (I was only five when it fell), so we have to rely on movies like this to understand the whole thing.
All in all, director Margarethe von Trotta did a very good job here, as did the whole cast.
Definitely worth seeing..
A Brilliant Drama of Romance and Distance.
This is one my favorite movies of all time.
I've read most of the negative comments on this one, and I agree with most of the criticisms.Nevertheless, despite some uneven patches in the storyline, this is one of the few movies I've seen that has real characters with real lives that I at least can relate to.
This movie ultimately is about humanity and how distance and proximity to what one loves and hates twists around who we really are inside..
Great Movie.
This is a great movie that many people can enjoy.
I have seen the movie a few times and never get tired of it.
It is a wonderful love story set in a terrible time.
This film definitely caught the feeling of the era and I would definitely recommend this movie.
Some people would be turned off because of the subtitles....but all I have to say is just give the movie a chance.
The acting is top notch and the style of filming is quite good.
It is a nice change from the constant Hollywood style that is usually forced upon us..
UNEASY POLITICAL DRAMA.
In an interview at the time of the release of this film Margarete von Trotta rather bragged about the fact that this was the first German (after unification) film after the fall of the Berlin wall that dealt with the 28 years of history on the East side of the wall.
This remains to be seen, but if so, is that a good reason to come up with this dim, tepid and obligatory romantic drama that is predictable from scene 1?
A drama in which the viewer no cliche spared?The film looks more a kaleidoscope of political events in which the two main characters just happened to be a part of.
The film never is a real drama and lacks every dramatic tension.
The two main characters are simply boring people (not helped much by the casting); all other characters are one-dimensional.
Some bad writing is also present: some characters, like the aunt, simply disappear from the story.
As to direction and filmmaking there are plenty of uneasy moments as well.
In the Prague scene the girl waits on the wrong spot for her friend; well, they just wait, but then "pop" a short scene in which she asks where this or that place is and then "pop": yes, there he is!
The scene of the father in hospital also just seems to come from nowhere.It all looks like as Von Trotta really wanted to show how very, very concerned she was about the 28 years of history and by that overplaying her hand.
She should either have elaborated the drama more, or have taken the trouble for a more thorough interpretation of the political situation.
As it is now it is a "everything political happens to poor us" drama.
I'm an 18 year old male college student, read my thoughts..
Hello, I viewed Das Versprechen in Germany during the summer of 1997.
Like most guys, I prefer the action genre, blood and guts and so.
I appreciate good love stories, but usually don't take to them.
My favorite genre is that containing art films and whimsical films(i.e. A Night on Earth, Il Mostro)  I do not usually get emotional during a love story inspired film, but I did during this one.
It certainly was not close to the depth of say Sophie's Choice, however it was an extremely well done film.
I highly recommend taking a couple of hours to watch this film, after seeing it, one will feel better about one's person..
Excellent Political Entertainment.
Ms. von Trotta directs with a very sure hand this very large canvas political drama about the divisions the German wall put between friends on both sides and how foolish its arbitrariness was.
Wonderful acting and well worth spending time with.
Stunningly photographed, as well..
The Promise.
When the Berlin wall is built to split up the city, a group of youths try to escape from the East to the West.
Among them are Sophie (Meret Becker) and Konrad (Anian Zollner), but only the former makes it to the west.
Konrad stays in the East, becoming a successful astronomer.
Over the following decades, the lovers keep on living their lives with new families, occasionally meeting each other when circumstances are benign.
Older versions of Sophie and Konrad are played by Corinna Harfouch and August Zirner.Through the melodramatic romance of Sophie and Konrad, the film examines the effects of the Wall on the Germans.
Things are more complicated than "East is bad, West is good": there are movements to both directions, and people have many reasons to move, or to choose to stay.
The film conveys the atmosphere of disunity and bureaucracy well through realistic visual style, but the love story is strong in its own right too..
what you want to know.
I can only praise the makers of this film, because many people did not experience it and unhappily, some do not want to hear about it.
A female friend of mine recently told me, that now she knows why the Berlin Wall was built.
Why, I asked.
"Because the Russians didn't want the Americans to come in." It would be laughable, if it wasn't so sad.
This is a person with university education and supposedly she never heard of people trying to get out of East Berlin or other communist countries.
Most people form their opinions in their youth and many are not able to change their minds and admit to themselves, let alone to others, that they were wrong.
Simply they ignore the facts.
By the way, even after the wall went up, the Americans still could go to East Berlin, if they so desired.
It was built to keep ordinary people in, because East Germans were leaving through Berlin in alarming numbers..
Incredibly Moving Film.
I first saw this in a German language class, and even though I'm no where near fluent, I still find this to be more enjoyable and moving than many English movies.
Following the lives of two main characters, the film chronicles the period just after the wall's construction to the fall in 1989.
Though all protagonist characters are of course impacted negatively by the wall, the politics of a few characters are very complex and surprising.
This movie will undoubtedly make you think.
Aside from politics, the main plot is a love story, and it is very powerful.
The characters are imperfect, real and delightful.
All in all it is evocative, emotional, and never trite.
Great film..
Nice, deep detail.
As the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall approaches, I re-watched this film with more pleasure than the first time around.Others have commented much of what I'd have to say.
But one particularly touching scene stuck most in my memory: Alexander (from West Berlin) brings a toy panda bear to his half-sister Elizabeth (in East Berlin).
He suggests they could go to the Western Zoo to watch a live animal.
But Konrad, their father, knows this isn't possible at the time, and suggests the Eastern Tierpark instead - but they don't have pandas there, only brown bears.
So at night, he takes the panda from sleeping Elizabeth's arms, and paints it brown...Just retelling this little part of the film makes tears well up in my eyes again..
Sometimes, Deep Thought Drains Out The Passion.
*Potential spoilers ahead* Long, but really not absorbing, drama of the Berlin wall, as seen through the eyes of young lovers.
Set up against such an oppressive atmosphere as the new DDR (Communist East), the story spans almost thirty years.Frankly, it was numbing to see the protagonist (Konrad) bumbling about to and fro, as to whether he really wanted to leave the "Worker's Paradise." Well, as the saying goes: Indecision is a decision.
Konrad's father is a party member, and he is bright.
He'll achieve and live well, if he stays politically on the right side of the party.
No one could condemn Konrad if he did.
Nobody purposely tries to make their life miserable, unless they like pain.
This issue really lies at the heart of exactly what is wrong, with DAS VERSPRECHEN.
The plot tends to amble, and we are introduced to characters with names and backgrounds.
They enter the story, and without or very limited explanation, they pass through the checkpoint into oblivion.
Unfortunately, so does the unwilling viewer.
By the time we are way into the movie, and Konrad still tries to fool himself, by defending his unwillingness to go to the West on a trip of his shoe laces.
It is then, when the viewer not only has lost any empathy or respect for him, but also might draw the ire of the viewer, as well.
THE PROMISE ponders way to much, and the passion of the characters tend to taper, due to the plodding script.
It is recommended, however don't expect to be sitting on the edge of your seat.
If you do, you might nod off and fall off.