The Man Between - Post WWII Thriller in Berlin

James Mason and Claire Bloom Movie in Germany After World War II

Aug 31, 2009 Christine Nyholm

The Man Between is a classic thriller starring James Mason and Claire Bloom set in post war Berlin, Germany, when the city was divided between East and West.

The Man Between is a Cold War thriller set in Berlin after World War II. The classic movie, made in 1953, was directed by Carol Reed and starred James Mason, Claire Bloom, Hildegarde Neff and Geoffrey Toone.

Englishwoman Visits Divided City

Berlin, after the war was a place of danger and intrigue. The city was divided in East Berlin and West Berlin. Englishwoman Susanne Mallison (Claire Bloom) was introduced to the divided city when she visited Berlin to visit her brother Martin Mallison (Geoffrey Toone) and his new wife Bettina Mallison (Hildegarde Neff). Bettina picked Susanne up at the airport and whisked her off through areas of quaint beauty and then through the war ravaged area of the city.

Tension was established from the beginning with furtive glances, people watching, a strange boy on a bicycle and the background music. Even Bettina appeared to be suspicious, evidently hiding something. When Martin took Bettina and Susanne out for a night on the town, Susanne observed her talking to an unseen mystery man

Susanne got to meet the mystery man when Bettina took her to tea at a café and introduced her to an old friend, the shady and sinister Ivo Kern (James Mason). Ivo invites Susanne on a date and an odd courtship begins.

In a case of mistaken identity, Susanne is kidnapped and taken to East Berlin. Ivo helps her escape and the two flee through a dark and deserted portion of East Berlin toward West Berlin.

A Look At Berlin Post WWII

The city of Berlin is in itself a character in this film. When the film was shot, Berlin was ravaged by war. According to information on the Turner Movie Classics website, Carol Reed was not able to film in East Berlin. Reed created the illusion of East Berlin by using sections in West Berlin near the border that divided the war-torn city. Posters of Lenin and actors in East German uniforms gave the effect of East Berlin. Reed also worked some Berlin landmarks into the film, giving the movie an authentic look.

The lighting of the black and white film is stark, adding the sinister and mysterious quality of the story. The Man Between is a thriller set in a historic era that can keep the viewer in suspense.Most of the dialog is in English, although the characters occasionally break into German, adding to the mystic of the movie.

Cast of The Man Between

• James Mason as Ivo Kern
• Claire Bloom as Susanne Mallison
• Hildegarde Neff as Bettina Mallison
• Geoffrey Toone as Martin Mallison
• Arlbert Waescher as Halendar
• Ernst Schroeder
• Dieter Krause as Horse
• Hilde Sessak as Lizzi
• Karl John as Inspector Kieber
• Ljuba Welitsch as Opera Singer Salome

Producer and Director: Carol Reed

The Man Between is a classic thriller that can sometimes be found on Turner Movie Classics (TMC).

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The copyright of the article The Man Between - Post WWII Thriller in Berlin in Classic Films is owned by Christine Nyholm. Permission to republish The Man Between - Post WWII Thriller in Berlin in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Potsdamer Platz Berlin Germany