Synopsis
Inspired by true events, Olympic swimmer Harry Melchior defects from East Germany in the 1960s and hatches a daring plot to help his sister and others flee East Berlin through a 145-yard underground tunnel.
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Cast
- Heino FerchHarry Melchior
- Nicolette KrebitzFriederike " Fritzi " Scholz
- Sebastian KochMatthis Hiller
- Alexandra Maria LaraLotte Lohmann
- Claudia MichelsenCarola Hiller
- Felix EitnerFred von Klausnitz
- Mehmet KurtuluşVittorio Castanza
- Heinrich SchmiederTheo Lohmann
- Uwe KockischOberst Krüger
- Karin BaalMarianne von Krausnitz
Recommendations
- 80
Variety
A cracking slice of old-fashioned, widescreen entertainment. - 80
Washington Post
Good old-fashioned movie storytelling that steadily builds, over the course of nearly three hours, to a white-knuckle conclusion that satisfies on nearly every level. - 75
New York Daily News
Though the film is as long as the escape route, Richter's brisk direction keeps us riveted through the suspenseful finish of his vivid history lesson. - 75
San Francisco Chronicle
So many twists and turns, it seems like fiction. - 75
Miami Herald
There are few moments when you're not totally absorbed by the film. - 70
The A.V. Club
The Tunnel boasts the kind of plot that would seem ridiculously implausible if it weren't based on a true story. - 70
The New York Times
The film convincingly portrays the devastating, life-altering hardships and restrictions that the residents of the divided Berlin endured. - 63
New York Post
Director Roland Suso Richter maintains tension for 2 1/2 hours, even though the resolution is almost surreal.
