Aussi loin que mes pas me portent

I saw this film as part of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts film series. It is an extremely well-acted and well-produced adventure, based on the true story of a German POW's incredible journey through the dauntingly wide expanses and multi-ethnic terrain of the former Soviet Union in the late '40s and early '50s. It is beautifully shot on location, outdoor scenes of the rugged Russian landscape being a principle attraction. It is also quite well-acted by Bettlemen, who evokes both sympathy with and admiration for his character, and the rest of the cast. The principle actor spoke for about an hour afterwards. As he admits, the film does not go into detail about why the prisoners were there--no doubt some of them deserved punishment. However, many scenes also concentrate on the main character's wife and children back in Germany. Bettlemen, whose grandfathers both died in Russian POW camps after WWII, said he did the film as much to illustrate their family's plights as that of the prisoners.

The film (and the book) also illustrate that Samaritanism is not dead, and was not, even in Russia at this time. Forrell was, after all, a German soldier, but he would have been unable to cross Siberia without help from people of many diverse people. As Bettlemen related, "People will help a creature driven into the dust, even if it is their worst enemy."

I had the great pleasure of seeing this film at the 2001 Houston Int'l film fest and spoke briefly with the director. This is an exceptional film both in terms of subject and technical production. For far too long the German heroes of world war two, ordinary family man who's lives were destroyed by Hitler's war machine as thoroughly as those the German's invaded, have been considered guilty by association. As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me, a film version of an equally excellent book, tells the true story of one man and his struggle both during the war and in a Russian concentration camp, and his ensuing decades long struggle to rejoin his family. While the film does stray from reality, it does so to great dramatic effect (the scene on the bridge). I have been pining for four years now to get my hands on a copy of this film for my home collection. If you ever get a chance to watch this film it is one of the best war films you will ever see.

This film is a good example of how new German cinema could be like. Though shot with a minimum of budget, the authentic atmosphere and the great landscapes, altogether with Bernhard Bettermann's very convincing acting made me enjoy this powerful adventure. The great score by Edward Artemyev, comparable to those great works of Maurice Jarre, added to the suspenseful and emotionally touching attitude. The often laconic dialogue and the very "American" (too emotional for many Germans - Americans will like it!) ending did not damage the pleasing overall impression I had watching it. In addition, "So weit die Füsse tragen" (As far as my feet will carry me) comes up with a topic that is - at least in Germany - seldomly discussed: German POW in Russian gulags after WW2. This is not a war movie! It's a single man's breathtaking adventure, returning to his family at all costs. Clemens Forell's three year walk through Siberia is a true story, which makes the film even more touching.

A strong 8 out of 10, because of the effort the filmmakers put into it.

It's highly rewarding seeing recent films from the German perspective of events, during WW2. This one concerns the hundreds of thousand of captive German soldiers (at the end and after the war), that were shipped to the Russian Gulags and never seen again. This is the true story of just one individual, who managed to escape and then walk across the whole of the country, to the Iranian border (which took him around three years). He was not only chased by an obsessive camp commander but had to endure, walking through Siberia in temperatures dropping to -40 degrees. You could never have made it up (surely he would have perished) and if this real event had been either an American or a British soldier, he would have indeed been World famous and depicted on stamps. It remains one of the finest testaments of human endeavour and the film does him a rightly so heroic justice. Also to the Jewish man who helped him, with just a sheer kindness.

Honestly, It is really impossible for me to imagine ANYONE rating this LESS than 6****** STARS! This FILM Really has SOMETHING for EVERYONE!!!

Immediately after watching "So weit die Fube tragen" an inescapable question popped into my head: Why did it take nearly half a century for this movie to get made? If ever there was a film that serves as irrefutable proof of the old adage "Truth is Stranger than Fiction", believe me, AS FAR AS MY FEET WILL CARRY ME is it!

Imagine trying to wrap your suspension of disbelief around all of the following elements: At the end of WWII, a German POW, Clemens Forell, is sent to a Siberian forced-labor camp, in the far northeastern corner of the Soviet Union (Russia), only a few hundred miles west of Alaska. After years of the most inhumane treatment and paltry diet imaginable, Forell manages to escape, with the aid of the camp Dr., his compatriot. Thusly, he becomes the most sought after fugitive in the Communist Bloc. His life-sustaining obsession: To reach his family in Germany, over 8,000 miles away, on foot!

Now if this premise were presented as a work of fiction, it would seem so preposterous that, more than likely, it would have been laughed out of theaters. This film should appeal to several diverse groups: To those of you who seek out true stories; to fans of escape films; to those who enjoy Man vs. The Wild/Nature themes; to the fans of German and/or foreign cinema; and to those with an interest in diverse cultures and film-shoot locations. One thing that really impressed me; Most True Stories, in recent years, stretch the truth quite a bit, for "Dramatic Impact"! It is obvious that this film refuses to compromise the truth. This apparent faithfulness to the original true story was influential in my decision to give it a 9* rating. By the way, very solid ensemble acting and some very beautiful exotic locations.