Flucht in Ketten

When I watch old American movies, I often encounter a certain form of levity that the movie represents itself with. That’s why I am all the more happy to experience a pleasant film surprise, in this case from the 1950s, which is guaranteed to have outraged the entire American continent at the time by the premise alone. It really took a lot of courage to put a white man and a black man who are chained together in the leading roles. And if the lady with her kid didn’t appear in half of the movie, I would have given it five stars. But she reminded me of why I’m so careful with old American cinematography. Her behavior made her so punchable, and since it was such an incorrect movie at the time, I’m surprised that Tony Curtis didn’t actually do it. Only a real cow can fall in love with a criminal and then plan a wedding, a family and a house in Detroit within a single hour. Oh, Tony and Sidney were great, too. (15.08.2017)

In its day this was a very important film that dealt with the rather thorny issue of racism and human exploitation. Two escaped convicts, a white man and a black man, in the fateful clash of their lives filled with big ideas, the untamed American landscape and the utterly precise psychology so typical and unique to a virtuoso like Stanley Kramer. Both fugitives, the impulsive but likeable Tony Curtis and the more rational Sidney Poitier, certainly deserve the status of stars of their day by their performances, while Sheriff Theodore Bikel, increasingly dogged and ruthless in his pursuit, perfectly exacerbates the mounting anxiety about the inevitable end of this involuntary quest. All this is crowned by a strong melodramatic ending, which even after all these years has lost none of its impact and meaning. For me, a clear 5*. :) (23.03.2014)

Both protagonists tried so hard that I even rooted for them at times (even though I'm not a fan of criminals). The only positive character was undoubtedly the laid-back sheriff with his humane approach but lousy tactics. The two convicts got much further than I had expected, occasionally singing a hit about a sewing machine, but I'm not giving them more than three stars. / "You've got the advantage, boy. You're tough to see if the light ain't good." / Lesson learned: You never know with whom you'll have to pull together. (10.04.2023)

An excellent film about how prejudices simply don't matter at all because people have much more in common than they have differences. Racism is simply foolishness, but evidently it keeps some people afloat. Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier don't play completely beautiful characters, they are criminals and both present themselves as such, but you still quickly find yourself on their side. (28.01.2015)

An amazing film that I have seen countless times in my youth and I literally devoured the story of the two men fleeing from the law. It's almost unbelievable how little the ravages of time have affected this film, and even today, after so many years, it still has something to say to the contemporary world. (90%) (12.12.2020)