Weg ohne Umkehr (1953)

Soviet engineer Michael Zorin (Ivan Desny) experiences the end of the Second World War in May 1945 as a Red Army officer in Berlin. One night, he meets Anna Brückner (Ruth Niehaus), a thoroughly terrified 16-year-old German girl, and walks her home. Seven years later, in 1952, Michael is appointed head of a civilian Soviet industrial inspection commission in East Berlin. There, he works at a metalworking plant alongside the German engineer Schultz, who is constantly at odds with the socialist government. Michael searches for Anna in West Berlin, but to no avail. He is then summoned to the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany and given a reprimand. At the meeting, Michael discovers that Anna, now 23, works there as a secretary and is under the sway of Soviet Major Kazanow (René Deltgen). Michael and Anna meet several times and fall in love, but their relationship is made difficult by Major Kazanow. Michael increasingly sees the Iron Curtain as a threat and a torment. Schultz attempts to assassinate Michael because he believes Michael is one of his tormentors. Michael survives and manages to convince Schultz that he, too, is a victim of the system, and the two become friends. Schultz is dismissed from his job at the plant and decides to flee to West Berlin. Michael, too, increasingly wants to go west. When Schultz’s escape attempt fails and it comes to light that Michael helped him, Michael also has to flee to West Berlin. Anna warns him and asks him to take her with him. They both evade their pursuers and find shelter in a West Berlin boarding house. The next morning, Michael plans to report to the authorities and get in touch with old acquaintances. While he is away, the secret service abducts Anna back to East Berlin.