Le chemin sans retour

Original title: Weg ohne Umkehr

1953
1h 35m

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Ivan Desny and Ruth Niehaus in Le chemin sans retour (1953)

In 1945, Mischa, a Red Army officer, discovers a frightened German girl, Anna, huddled in a Berlin cellar. He gives her a safe escort home and wins her gratitude. Seven years later, Mischa r... Read allIn 1945, Mischa, a Red Army officer, discovers a frightened German girl, Anna, huddled in a Berlin cellar. He gives her a safe escort home and wins her gratitude. Seven years later, Mischa returns to Berlin as a civilian engineer in charge of factory production. He remembers Anna... Read allIn 1945, Mischa, a Red Army officer, discovers a frightened German girl, Anna, huddled in a Berlin cellar. He gives her a safe escort home and wins her gratitude. Seven years later, Mischa returns to Berlin as a civilian engineer in charge of factory production. He remembers Anna and searches for her in the western sector, where he is observed by the Secret Police. He... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

101

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 4 wins & 1 nomination total

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6.5101

Featured reviews

9ZeddaZogenau

GOLDEN GLOBE for Victor VICAS

Great film from the time after the Second World War, when there was still no wall in Berlin. The Soviet engineer Mischa (Ivan DESNY) is looking for his childhood sweetheart Anna (Ruth NIEHAUS) in Berlin, which is already divided into East and West. She now works for the Soviet Major Kazanov (FILM BAND in GOLD for Rene DELTGEN). The two lovers meet again, but suffer more and more from the repression of the communists. There are also problems with a bitter man (Karl JOHN) who is stalking Mischa. As things get worse, Mischa makes a momentous decision...

Finally a West German film that deals with the bitter realities of division and political confrontation. And there was already a GOLDEN GLOBE in Hollywood for the Moscow-born director Victor VICAS. Alf MARHOLM and Wolfgang NEUSS also appear in other roles. A special masterpiece is delivered by the future ACADEMY AWARD winner Lila KEDROVA (she received the award for ALEXIS SORBAS / ZORBAS THE GREEK), who plays an unintentionally funny Soviet commissioner in the best Ninotschka style. Splendid!

Great Berlin film! Great love drama! Great contemporary document from the first half of the 1950s! Ruth NIEHAUS and Ivan DESNY are particularly great in the main roles. After her appearance in ROSEN BLÜHEN ON THE HEIDEGRAB, NIEHAUS became one of the great film stars of the West German film industry. DESNY received the GERMAN FILM PRIZE (h.c.) in 1980 for his decades of achievements for German-language cinema.

Highly recommended!