As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me (2001)

Simply A Masterpiece

Sadly Over-hyped

The acting in this movie is really good.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

"So Weit Die Füsse Tragen" (2001), directed by Hardy Martins, a stunt coordinator who seems to have a natural great talent in directing and who will hopefully continue making movies in this genre, despite Vilsmaier, has presented a movie that is in two respects more than remarkable: First, it focuses on the often forgotten Stalinistic concentration camps. No one is to accuse the Nazis because of their concentration camps unless he also accuses those of Stalin and makes known of what happened not only before, but also behind the Iron Curtain. Second, the movie tells the story of one single individual without any attempts at generalizing the fate of others or smuggling pseudo-documentary material (f.ex., as it is unfortunately so often the case, in the form of archive footage) into the movie. In its compromise-less realistic and not naturalistic description lies the big value of this movie.Without any scroll-work, the film shows the way of Clemens Forell from his way from Munich to Stalingrad in the last year of World War II, then his deportation to a Stalinistic Concentration Camp in Siberia, afterward his flight, made possible by a terminally ill German physician who provides him with the preparatory work originally intended for himself, then his basically indescribably pains on his unimaginable long and excruciating way through ten thousands of miles of Ice deserts, the taiga, downwards to the South into an Iranian prison, and then his miraculous, yet not fairy-tale-like release and return to his family after more than eight years of absence on Christmas Eve, like scheduled for Midnight Mass.

"As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me" takes the audience on the epic journey of a Nazi POW who escapes from a brutal GULAG on the far eastern shores of Siberia. It is essentially a remake of a popular television series that was made back in the 1950's, and deals with a subject that has been for the most part ignored, perhaps for a good reason. It is a good, thought provoking watch, but falls disappointingly short of the cinematic masterpiece it could have been.Beginning in the summer of 1944, Clemens Forell bids farewell to his pregnant wife and young daughter, as he ventures off to the Russian front during the last 12 months of the war in Europe. The film then jumps forward a year, with the war over and German POW's in Russia being transported to the GULAG's in Siberia. The scenes on board the train showing the appalling conditions mirror those that you would expect to see in most Holocaust films.Upon arrival at the end of the line, the prisoners then embark on a march through the snow until they reach their final destination and the very eastern tip of the USSR. Once at the GULAG at Cape Dezhnev, the prisoners are sent down lead mines where, historically, most perished over the next 10 years.The film effectively shows the harsh conditions imposed on the prisoners, although at this early stage of the film, the viewer is still deciding whether or not they feel sorry for the central character and his countrymen, who's exact crimes are not made clear in the film. During WW2, the USSR witnessed the very worst atrocities carried out by the Nazis, so feeling sympathy for these guys is hard to do if you know the history.When Forell makes his successful escape, following an unsuccessful one, the journey that follows is truly remarkable. From the desolate barren landscapes of Arctic Siberia, Forell encounters a variety of characters, including a tribe of Siberian Eskimos that thankfully only took up a small portion of the film. The romance with the Siberian girl was silly and unnecessary.The remainder of the journey leads Forell to eventually cross the border into Iran, but not before another silly scene with the GULAG camp commander, who has supposedly chased the escapee for 3 years only to meet up with him on the bridge between the border posts. This was daft and took away a lot of credibility that the film does earn at different stages. A large chunk of the story them seems to disappear as Forell finds himself in a prison in Tehran waiting to be executed for being a Soviet spy. This part of the story could have been the subject of a film on its own.I'm not going to spoil the end, but it was quite effective, if not brief. I will say that the viewer will be left still thinking whether or not the hero of the film really is a hero. Watch a film like "Come and See," then see how you feel about the Nazi POW's portrayed in this film.Overall, the film was a good watch, not a great one as it could have been had a few more details been provided for the audience. Hardy Martins' direction has its moments. The acting was generally good, although Anatoly Kotenyov was wishy-washy in the role as Kamenev, the Soviet officer who chases Forell throughout the film. Michael Mendl in his brief role as Stauffer was memorable. Bernhard Bettermenn in the lead role was solid, although the true nature of his character is never fully realised. As a Nazi officer fighting on the Russian front, the good-guy persona needed to be more toughened up. Realistically, only the hardened of men could have survived what Clemens Forell did.

I give this one a 4 instead of a 1 because the overall subject is fascinating. But the movie was a big let-down especially after reading the book.Although much touted for it's visual image, I was disappointed by the lack of little details. Many parts just didn't give one the feeling of being there. Forinstance, the train ride eastward; if it has been done like in Dr. Zhivago, it would have been great.The Russian camp commander was a totally cardboard character. Evil and mean but with no depth. And he is supposed to have followed a single escaped prisoner for 3 years and 8000 miles. Where was his accountability to his superiors for taking off on his own like this. Surely they wouldn't have permitted his being away from his command for months on end in the pursuit of a single escaped prisoner. In reality, the searchers spent a couple of days scanning a 50 kilometer radius then gave the escapee up for dead.And when; after dogging his prey for 3 years the commander finally catches up with him...and then lets him go? Oh please. I have seen better turns of a plot on womens afternoon shows.And that Siberian woman who fell instantly in love with him and bedded down with him the same day he came to in her Tee-pee. She happened to be beautiful and wore only the finest quality "traditional" garb. This was a totally unnecessary addition to the film.I know that a movie can't follow all the detail of a long book about a longer journey. But so much was glazed over.The dramatic end was conversely wonderful. The reunion with his wife was a great scene and done so well. It brought to life what must have been the most powerful emotions. But was cut off short by the ending credits. if they'd have added a couple of minutes to the end, it might have gone a long way toward saving something of this movie.Overall "As far as my feet will carry me" had me longing for my feet to carry me out of the theater. At best it is a medium quality "made for TV" production.

This film is about a German prisoner of war escaping from a camp in the eastern most tip of Siberia."So Weit die Füße Tragen" is amazing. Clemens' struggle to survive is almost unbelievable. His initial journey across Siberia is a lonely and hard one. The joy he experiences (and I completely feel it too) when he sees a bare tree is overwhelming. In the land of pure wilderness, the simplest item can exhilarate. It is a stark reminder of how materialistic the world has become, and we are taking so many things for granted.It is heartbreaking to see that he learns not to trust anyone, as his escape is filled with prosecution and betrayal. This keeps the thrill and suspense throughout. In fact, I had to pause the film several times to calm myself down.The execution of the film is also very good. It does not feel like 2.5 hours, in fact I think no scene can be cut away without harming the integrity of it. There are many memorable scenes, such as the raft on rapids, and the many concentration camp scenes. The most striking scene is the final bridge scene. The immense natural beauty is contrasted with the most dreaded encounter. The suspense and emotion of it is beyond words.Apart from the tight and intense plot, and the excellent execution, "So Weit die Füße Tragen" is filled with very touching elements. The ending will surely bring anyone to tears. To think that Clemens have suffered three years of unimaginable hardship to achieve this one solitary goal is inspiring and moving."So Weit die Füße Tragen" is inspiring and thought provoking. It celebrates the will power to struggle and to survive. I will remember this film as one of the most touching and powerful film I have ever watched.