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      Night Crossing

      PG Released Feb 5, 1982 1 hr. 46 min. Drama List
      80% 5 Reviews Tomatometer 66% 1,000+ Ratings Audience Score Two men (John Hurt, Beau Bridges) and their families escape from East to West Germany in a colorful homemade hot-air balloon. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Nov 18 Buy Now

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      Audience Reviews

      View All (21) audience reviews
      jon c Based on the true story of a night crossing of one brave attempt to escape huge confines in one's own home country starring the late John Hurt and Beau Bridges It's East Germany 1961 A barrier has been established to keep its citizens inside by the East German regime Border fences have silent alarms and machine guns to fire In April 1978, Peter Strelzyk has a big idea to escape Germany by building a hot air balloon and he has the help of Gunter Wetzel They hope to go from East to West Germany to escape the communist regime but they worry if they can take their whole families with them Do we talk about freedom and escape and do nothing, The film takes a while to lift off so to speak since it's more about the secret attempt to fly Peter is at first doubtful but he has the support of his wife and kids Plus Gunter doesn't want to be a delivery guy the rest of his life Both want their loved ones to have better lives This ain't everyone's cup of tea and it does get very violent for a Disney film Still it shows a family united under dyer circumstances can accomplish anything Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review r 9 Good, could've been made a bit more subtly though. 'Night Crossing', which portrays the true story of a hot air balloon escape from East Germany, is an interesting and well acted production. However, it doesn't do anything to throw you off the scent. Predictability isn't always a negative, but it is one for this film in my opinion. Whether it be through knowledge of the event, reading the opening credits (where they acknowledge the families) or just general direction of the story - it's easy to see where it's going, as such the pacing is very slow; at least across the first and middle acts. With that noted, things do end brightly thanks to the feel-good nature of the finale and the satisfactory cast. John Hurt (Peter) is the best of the bunch, while the few around him add to proceedings well. Günter Meisner, Mr. Slugworth himself, also makes an appearance. On the cast, it is kinda odd that some characters have British accents and some have German - you'd think the filmmakers would've picked one or the other. I don't have any recollection of knowing about this true event before watching this, which is a surprise given I know about other stories regarding this topic. Either way, it's a solid film. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review david f The story is interesting and there is some genuine tension when two East German families build a hot air balloon to escape to the West in the 1970s. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Suspenseful from beginning to end. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member What 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. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member A cold war setting seems a little out of place for a Disney made drama, but it's not a badly made film even if it's got more of a smattering of western propaganda to it. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (5) Critics Reviews
      Grant Watson Fiction Machine It manages to extract an enormous amount of suspense from the final half hour. Rated: 8/10 Jul 13, 2020 Full Review Diego Galán El Pais (Spain) With a childish plot, the film doesn't manage to interest the public. [Full Review in Spanish] Aug 22, 2019 Full Review Michael Szymanski International Press Academy Rated: 4/5 Sep 21, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jun 19, 2005 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice Night Crossing proves that a family united in a common project can accomplish near impossible things. Feb 4, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Two men (John Hurt, Beau Bridges) and their families escape from East to West Germany in a colorful homemade hot-air balloon.
      Director
      Delbert Mann
      Production Co
      Walt Disney Productions
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Feb 5, 1982, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 1, 2014
      Sound Mix
      Surround
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