As far as my feet will carry me.
When Clemens Forell left his wife and daughter in 1944, he didn’t know that the train that would take him to the eastern front would never bring him back to his native of Munich, Germany. The book “As far as my feet will carry me” has sold millions of copies worldwide. Forell sentenced to hard labour for 25 as a prisoner of war mining lead at Siberia’s eastern edge, escapes from his russian guards in october of 1949. In december of 1952, two days before christmas eve and after an escape of more than 14.000 kilometers, Forell finally arrives home. I just watched the DVD and I do not remember any other movie beside Schindler’s list, that touched me like Forell’s story. Clemens Forell’s real name was never disclosed to the public, as he wanted to spent a calm and quiet life back home in Germany. After he died 1983 in Munich sources leaked out Clemens Forell was the then 61-year old Oberleutnant Cornelius Rost.
I believe.
Having just watched the film with my wife on a cold afternoon,the channel was “Movies for Men”,we couldn’t believe that this man had endured so much,it was heart-rending to see him get back to his family.
I have just learnt that his real name was Cornelius Rost”allegedly”,but has this been proved?
My wife and I were so engrossed in the film,any phone calls had to go to answer-machine.
“As far as my feet will carry me”What a title,What a Feat of survival.
This has to be the best “subtitled film” I have ever seen, REMARKABLE
Yes, I have just recently watched “As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me” on Movies4Men (Sky 325) and it is a very good film. Albeit not based on a novel, I notice they are advertising another new WWII subtitled film, this time from Russia (Last Armoured Train). Don’t know what it will be like. Perhaps not as good… but I have the bug for watching these things now.
Yes the story is true and proved. If you compare the book and the film you will see some differences but the message is amazing and I have been impressed as well.
Forell was called Cornelius Rost and he died in munich in 1983 .
the writter – martin bauer – was not allowed to call the real name before Rost died in the early 80’s.
For more information: http://www.jf-archiv.de/archiv02/142yy51.htm
I have not seen the film (movie) but have read the book, which was a real and overwhelming experience. It was such an eye and mind opening read. Living in a warm comfortable house with all wants and needs immediately at hand, I had to stop every so often to have the slightest chance of mentally coming to terms with it and seeing and trying to feel the real and complete picture of such abject hardship and deprivation and the freezing cold sub zero temperatures that together would have killed most lesser mortals. I can only say what a driven man he must have been. That the love for his wife and children drove him on so relentlessly. Unbounded admiration doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Having looked deeply into both similar stories of the period, The long walk and This story. And lastly ‘Looking for Mr Smith’ by Linda Willis. As far as my feet will carry me, stands up talker and far more believeable and comes with far more credit over all? Also I noticed Mr Rawicz’s novel was realeased only one year after AFAMF tuning my suspicion’s stronger that indeed the Long Walk was no more than a tale of both half truths and fiction? In truth I’d love to be wrong and hopefully am just that.
N Davis
Having looked deeply into both similar stories of the period, The long walk and This story. And lastly ‘Looking for Mr Smith’ by Linda Willis. As far as my feet will carry me, stands up taller and far more believeable and comes with far more credit over all? Also I noticed Mr Rawicz’s novel was released only one year after AFAMF tuning my suspicion’s stronger that indeed the Long Walk was no more than a tale of both half truths and fiction? In truth I’d love to be wrong and hopefully am just that.
N Davis