The Tunnel

I haven't seen it but Ramzi abed is my uncle and he's really awesome in fact I'm supposed to be in some of his upcoming movies.My aunt got married to him last October so I hope to see it.I bet he has of coarse.I'm really close to him and if you have any questions you can write them down on the msg board and I'll be sure to ask him!It might be awhile though he is in Jordan right now so I won't be able to ask him but they call from abed so we know their alright and stuff.I can't wait until his movies come out but we won't be filming until later so that ganna be cool.I hope I din't give too much info but I just wanted to tell you.

Some guy was ranting on a message board about this film months ago, and I was recently able to acquire a video from a friend of a friend who really loves Troma but hates this film.

I have to say that "The Tunnel" struck me. While the production quality is relatively low, and some of the handling of the cast seems haphazard, uneven, or sloppy (Kaufman), the film does have a certain dark, freakshow style that I happened to find fascinating. The direction, at times seems a little awkward, with a lack of attention to pacing. Even in the 15-minute version, it didn't pick up enough speed into climax, and rather droned its way into a thud.

Unlike previous posters, however, I did find the story just interesting and unique enough to keep me thinking, and I felt that this film suffered perhaps more from ambition than pretention. It seems to be reminiscent of French absurdism, and not just in Kaufman's rather pathetic Blacque Jacque Shellacque impersonation, but in the ideas expressed in the film.

Paul, the main character, is struggling with his mortality, in ways which are not so clearly explained(an asset?). Is the point of "The Tunnel" that there is no light, or that there is no tunnel? Existentialist or Nihilist?

And on a final note, I was rather impressed with the work of Casey Wickson in the film as the lead character. I don't know that I would've made it through this film if not for his performance, which seemed genuine, and a familiar face for someone who apparently hasn't done much else. When Paul speaks, there is pain in his voice, and my gf said she would've cried if he had more than three sentences to speak. If acting is in the eyes, then this guy might have it, although he did seem young for the part.

The story here seems solid, perhaps even excellent, but the direction (or lack thereof) slows it, and, at times, takes you away from it. If you're looking for a "little too weird for its own good think-piece", then you might want to check it out. I give it a 7.5/10, mostly on its apparent intentions and a singular performance.

The excellent performances and intelligent dialog managed to keep my full interest. It has a few brief action scenes and the suspense constantly builds up to complete nail-biter. For somewhat of a low budget film, the cinematography looked great. Cars, uniforms and buildings are all accurate. The constant tension and absurdity of the first years of the Berlin wall is portrayed effectively without a false sentimentalism. They actually managed to get the government's permission to close the area around the Brandenburg Gate to traffic for filming! So it has some great shots in Berlin toward the beginning. Go out and rent this puppy...

I rented this film without knowing anything about it. I found it over at Cinefile next door to the Nuart, and had no idea what I was in for. The guy at the counter told me a tiny bit about it. That night I rented it and two other movies, "The Others" and "Cannibal Holocaust", and honestly it weirded me out more than either of those flicks. Reminded me a lot of "Bringing Out The Dead", and I liked the unique style it was directed in. Definitely a new cult film. The tape had two cuts of the film on it and some random footage from the making of the film. Left me dumbfounded.

I saw this film at a San Diego Cinema Society showing in the fall of 2004 and found it gripping from beginning to end. It personalized the many attempts to cross from East to West Berlin during the period immediately following the construction of the Wall in the 1960s. I certainly did not find it boring. Everything from the sets to the exteriors showed attention to detail and period authenticity. The subtitles were easy to read (if you don't speak German). You truly cared about the characters and could understand their often different and conflicting motivations for their actions. The fact that it is based on a true story makes it even more compelling. I look forward to its release in the USA.