'Why do we bother guarding the border? Wouldn't we be better off without those traitors?' This question by a Stasi-official pinpoints the paradox of communism: if a system without freedom would be better than a free society, why would citizens escape this system? The German film 'Ballon' doesn't elaborate on the pros and cons of political systems. Instead, it is a thriller filled with suspense, about two families trying to cross the border between East and West in a home made hot air balloon. The thriller-element is far more important than the political side of the story. The director doesn's shy away from classic Hollywood screenwriting clichés. But he gets away with it. I was gripped by the story, although it's clear that it's made more exciting than it was in reality. The excellent wikipedia-entry 'East German balloon escape' is interesting reading material for those who want to compare the film with reality. Besides being a fine thriller, 'Ballon' also shows very well the effects authoritarian societies have on its citizens. They risk their own lives and those of their young children, in order to stop living in a big lie. Many films have shown the gruesome aspects of East German communism, but once again I was amazed by the cruelty of people oppressing each other.

An enjoyable German thriller telling of a family's attempt to escape from east Germany via hot air balloon, no less. It's one of those true "stranger than fiction" tales that plays out in a surprisingly engrossing and suspenseful way. The action and scale are low key, but the ballooning scenes are handled adroitly and the scenes of the Stasi and their investigations keep the suspense going. Nothing to dislike about a well-made thriller that actually thrills.

"Ballon" is a new 2018 movie from Germany and probably one of the most talked-about films of the year from my country. This film did receive an additional boost because it was directed by Michael Bully Herbig, very well-known here in Germany as a filmmaker, and he is also part of the writing staff. Most people when hearing the name Herbig think of the man's comedies, but here he enters the drama genre for once and I heard he plans to stay there. I don't know if it is the right choice. I think this film's imdb rating is far too high and the other reviewer is correct that this is really not a good movie. It runs for pretty much exactly two hours and tells the story of a family who plans to escape from the GDR to West Germany with the help of a gigantic balloon. It is never an engaging thriller in my opinion. It all feels false and for the sake of it with one scene following the next where they try to show us how close they are to getting caught and how risky their endeavor is. But yeah, maybe it is partially subjective, but it feels like drama for the sake of drama and the story deserves way better. It almost feels like one of these pseudo-important ProSieben blockbuster films in my opinion (fittingly with Herbig's roots). And there is some cringe to it too. Like when they play some board game and one character says "go to jail". Or earlier when one characters asks where he is escaping to this summer with a reference to their flight, but all he meant was escaping in the sense of travelling to which country for the holidays away from the stress. So yeah, it is neither very witty nor very creative and there's tons of these moments. Also how close they come in their first attempt or when they actually succeed and the balloon is touching some electricity cable or that they will not make it early on again. Or that they are not getting enough material to make the balloon etc. It never felt like authentic drama. Or the scene with the "asking for help" note near the American embassy or so when the boy acts all weird to save the situation. Yep, the exact boy who messes everything up almost at the very end when telling the girl he likes that they are leaving and if she wants to go with them. No, teenage love does not explain this garbage story line.

I would not say Bully is the problem here. His direction is solid for sure, but the script is really important. Kinda fitting that one of very few decent moments is near the end when they succeeded (of course) and the Franconians they meet tell them funnily they are not in the West, probably because the film really has no right to take itself seriously the way it does. Not at all. Another okay moment was the nurse who finds out from the child about the plans and how she reacts to it when questioned by the officers. Other than that, it is mediocre popcorn cinema, but it is nowhere near being one of Germany's best films of the year, probably not even best films on the subject of the GDR of the year 2018 to be honest. It is true that they made so many films about this era and yes there's still new ones coming out that are very much worth seeing. This is not one of them. Schuch's and Kusche's stunning looks cannot save the day here at all. And I am not a great fan of Mücke either. The way he seems to channel Bully's acting and line delivery is especially tough to watch during the first half. A thumbs-up to Kross though who wasn't as bad as I expected and to Kretschmann who was a formidable main antagonist at times, perhaps the best thing from the film and a true scene stealer occasionally. But yeah, the story kills all the film's hopes really. It wants to be great, it ends up extremely mediocre and that is still a generous description. Watch something else instead and I am not sold at all by Bully as an influential drama film director, certainly not after the very flawed outcome we got here.