Night Crossing
Night Crossing

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- 65/100 based on 1,530 votes

In 1978, in East Germany, two families, the Strelzyks and the Wetzels, make plans to escape the Communist East and flee to the West. Peter Strelzyk comes up with a daring idea to construct a homemade air balloon big enough to carry the two families across the East-West militarized border. The border between East and West Germany is heavily militarized, complete with watch towers, guard dogs, barbed-wire, alarms, sensors, search lights, and patrols. Rumors have it that some ar... (Full plot summary below)

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Actors in Night Crossing:

John Hurt
Jane Alexander
Beau Bridges
Glynnis O'Connor
Klaus Löwitsch
Sky du Mont

Full Plot Details

In 1978, in East Germany, two families, the Strelzyks and the Wetzels, make plans to escape the Communist East and flee to the West. Peter Strelzyk comes up with a daring idea to construct a homemade air balloon big enough to carry the two families across the East-West militarized border. The border between East and West Germany is heavily militarized, complete with watch towers, guard dogs, barbed-wire, alarms, sensors, search lights, and patrols. Rumors have it that some areas of the militarized border are mined. The only chance of crossing the border is by air. The Strelzyks and the Wetzels commence their risky venture by purchasing lots of taffeta fabric and sewing it together with a sewing machine in the attic. Peter Strelzyk builds an experimental homemade hot air balloon burner. In 1979 when the balloon is ready Peter and his son test it, but the Wetzel family becomes hesitant. The Strelzyks decide to go alone, but bad weather causes the balloon to crash inside the Communist zone. The Strelzyks leave the crash area, but the incriminating evidence litters the ground. They wonder if they will be able to evade the ensuing Police investigation and whether they will be able to build another balloon for their next attempt. They also are determined to persuade the Wetzel family to maybe join them in their second try. That is, if the East German Communist secret Police, the Stasi, won't get to them first.

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Movie Reviews

Spirituality and Practice - 8/10 by Frederic and Mary Ann BrussatNight Crossing proves that a family united in a common project can accomplish near impossible things.
User Review - 10/10 by Kurt CWhat an incredible story!!! A gripping, true story of two families successfully crossing the East German border to West Germany via a hot air balloon. I can't even imagine the horror, fear and ultimate faith they must have gone through. Very powerful.
User Review - 8/10 by Jude PNight Crossing is a Disney production from 1982 Starring John Hurt and Beau Bridges. It's the true story about two families who attempt to flee East German into West Germany in a home made hot air balloon. It's a fantastic escape movie told with sincerity and maturity. Before the 90s, Disney used to produce some amazing feature films (Third Man on the Mountain, Follow Me Boys, Treasure of Matecumbe just to scratch the surface). They were often true stories and always informative. I learned a lot from watching these films and I still do. Night Crossing is surprisingly sombre for a Disney film with a young boy being brutally gunned down by border guards within the first 10 minutes of the film, blood and all. So naturally it's for older kids and I think its acts as a great gateway into the history of German-segretation and the Berlin Wall. John Hurt and Beau Bridges are really good, and Hurt shows a vulnerability that I haven't seen often in his performances. The one weird thing about the movie is that the actors have British and American accents and it's easy for forget that they're supposed to be from East Germany... and yet all of the East German officials (police, guards etc) have accents. I guess to sort of vilify them. But the story is fascinating and holds your attention. The film has slipped into obscurity with time but I highly recommend finding a copy and owning it.
User Review - 8/10 by Timothy SSince it's a Disney production, "Night Crossing" is a pretty wholesome picture that conveniently glosses over some of the darker elements of the era in which the film is set. That doesn't by any means make this a bad movie, in fact quite the opposite is true. This is a thrilling and captivating movie that exemplifies the human spirit and what it means to be free. There's a fine cast, and young Beau Bridges is exceptionally good along with the typically reliable John Hurt. Director Delbert Mann is a good storyteller, but he keeps the film paced well and the tension tight. The story is true, but it's not a historically significant one. Mann's capable direction, however, makes the finale a real nail-biter in the grand Disney tradition. Thanks to a strong script, you really come to care for these characters and it really doesn't bother you so much that the screenwriters sanitize history. In fact, in some ways that's a good thing simply because it makes this perfect family entertainment. I can honestly say that it can easily be enjoyed by parents and their children, and it's good enough to generate a lot of discussion afterwards. Inquisitive kids will instinctively want to learn more about this subject, and an educational and entertaining film can't be a bad thing at all. "Night Crossing" was the first "grown-up" movie I can remember seeing as a kid, and it still holds up just fine for today's audiences. It's a thrilling, well-told story that builds tension nicely.
User Review - 8/10 by Bester LBon film a voir! Certes ancien, mais les peripeties vont vous satisfaire. Tres grand respect de l'environnement de l'epoque! Bref, une bonne lecon d'histoire vrai!
User Review - 8/10 by Phil MA little Disney corny at times during the first half, but great story overall. It truly is amazing what some people went through to escape East Germany. Even after a year of waiting for it (long story), it did live up to my expectations.
User Review - 6/10 by Melanie DSaw it years ago, but do recall I saw it at night while crossing my legs so as to feel an integral part of the whole experience and I do believe it worked as they seemed to make it out and I apparently made it home, so all was well with the world that eve.
User Review - 6/10 by Adam DI enjoy true story's and this one is no different. Freedom means everything.
User Review - 6/10 by Private UI saw this when I was very little, so I can't fairly rate it until I see it again. From what I remember it was an alright flick.

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