Reserviert für den Tod

The proper translation of this movie title would be "Reserved for Death". This is a neat little cloak-and-dagger spy story shot in glorious black and white and released in 1963 at the height of the Cold War. What makes this movie different is that it was produced in East Germany! Here is the basic set up: Erich Becker (played by Hans-Peter Minetti) is a former East German national living in Stockholm, Sweden. He flies to Frankfurt in West Germany to meet someone about a job. We learn that Erich will have to take a night train to Erfuhrt, East Germany and meet a certain Dr. Jadenburg (played by Martin Flörchinger) and then bring him back to West Germany. Erich is given false papers with an assumed name so the East German authorities will not know. Clearly, this job is spy mission on behalf of the West German government!

Once Erich is on the train, he meets a young woman named Hanna (played by Irma Münch) who knows about the plan. She then reveals other details that give Erich doubts about continuing. A reluctant spy, he considers getting off the train before it enters East Germany. But the last stop before crossing the border is quickly approaching! Are any other spies involved? Who can Erich really trust? And are the East Germans already aware of this mission and setting up a trap? On the face of it, this looks like a classic 1960's spy movie of the "Smiley" variety. Some might consider it a propaganda film, but this viewer disagrees. The depiction of West Germany (using stock footage and their own props) seems fair and accurate. At the border, both the western and eastern customs officials were presented as polite and efficient (properly German, in other words.) With that said, the "Bad Guys" are definitely those people who sent Erich Becker into East Germany on a dangerous mission.

It is important to know that at the time this movie was made, the Berlin Wall had just been erected. The official position of the East German government was that the border was sealed to protect their own citizens against Fascism and Aggression, primarily coming from the United States. West Germany might have more luxuries, but its politics were bankrupt. Yes, some people might be lured away from East Germany by promises of money, but it came at a moral cost. Any film made in East Germany that did not agree with this view would simply not be released. And any foreign films that depicted East Germany in a negative way would never be shown there. Censorship in East Germany was a constant way of life...

Of some interest here is that the two primary actors in this movie, Hans-Peter Minetti and Irma Münch, were married in real life and had a son, Daniel. Born in 1958, Daniel Minetti is also an actor who is currently working. Hans-Peter enjoyed a long productive career in East Germany until 1990, at which point the regime collapsed. Thereafter, he received a lot of criticism for his strong support of East Germany. No more major roles for him!