Why did sergent Kamenev let him go?
towards the end of the film,
why did he let Clemens pass through on the bridge?
great movie btw
I'd like to know this too - maybe someone could put this question in the FAQ section (I tried but failed).
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MovieChat Forums > So weit die Füße tragen (2001) Discussion > Why did sergent Kamenev let him go?
I think it could be that he had already crossed the sovjet border?
shareThe russian soldiers had a lot of open accounts to settle, it took them some 1 to one encounters, that there was no such being as the murderous beasts described in their propaganda. Both sides dehuminized the "enemy" with diffrent ideologies to base on.
Kamenev was told by his supriors that the POW's he was in charge off, where german anti - partisan - jagdgruppen. Units that where known for their brutality
towards civilians, and also committing atrocities. Well, not every unit was like that. So in Kamenev's opinion they were criminals.
He had to find out, that Forrel could not be that criminal mind. By witnessing his conduct and behavior at flight. A criminal could surely not have endured.
So Forel had earned Kamenev's human respect.
Aside from the previous explanation, it seems to me that Kamenev had made his point: He caught Clemens! ["It is my victory!" He says] There was no need to take it any further.
shareIt seems that the Commandante has two struggling feelings. 1) a sense of pride. Hence, "this is my victory." and 2) as unbelievable as it may seem, a sense of honor. He figures the guy got this far and outwitted him at least twice, I'm going to let him pass. Especially since he's already pretty much across the border anyway.
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Did Forell & Kamenev remind anyone else of Jean Valjean & Javert in "Les Miserables"? The whole "I'll pursue you if it takes the rest of my life" type of thing.
shareAs it turns out, he was arrested by the Iranians as soon as he got over the bridge? Why? Becasue Kamenev told them that he was a spy. he says this is his victory because he knows that our hero will be arrested immediately. After all, he has nowhere else to go.
shareWhy would Kamenev, a Russian lieutenant tell Iranians that a Russian spy is heading their way? What logic is that?
Kamenev let Clemmins through because Kamenev had finally had a sense of humanity after witnessing a Jewish man's last words. The Jewish man said he would of helped 'anyone' meaning, regardless if they were his obvious enemy(German) or not. It was his final hope of a good deed to be favored in his idea of being passed on to God as a sin free man.
Those words got to Kamenev -seeing how far a man(Clemmins) had come and with only Kamenev, himself left standing in his way at the border to freedom. He stood aside and said "It is my victory", because he felt that by allowing Clemmins through, he will too in some sense pass through as a good man when his time comes, therefore it is his 'victory' by making the right decision and preventing any future guilt, regret that could of been stored for him.
Clemmins was most likely arrested for suspicion of being a Russian spy, after all he came through the border in a awkward way, alone. His passport was fake, with a made up Russian name on it. If Kamenev would of told the Iranians that Clemmins is a Russian spy then they would of knew that something is up, because a Russian high ranking officer turning in a spy of their own is odd, and even if they did believe him, they would of most likely killed him right away, just like they were about to do before his Uncle showed up and saved him from his sentence.
As I saw it ,kamanev new he had one hence "this is my victory" but taking him back would have almost been an insult into what clemmens had achieved. The victory comment meant that although clemmens would be escaping and going home like he set out to do kamanev had one the battle of whits witch is wad it had become. It was a gracious victory, so he didnt need to take clemmens back.
YOU NEVER COULD BEAT ME EGG SHEN!
Did the bridge scene really happen? I'd say it didn't but what a story it would be.
As for why he let him go, I'd have to agree with most postings. I don't think he told the Persian guards he was a spy.
I think he had some respect for him seeing how much he could endure. Also the fact that he wasn't terrorizing the public on his way, stated that he wasn't a ruthless criminal but a person trying to just get away. So as someone already stated, Clemens showed that he wasn't like many of the other Nazis. I think the Polish Jew so willing to help anyone, stated that like the Russians others had been through he'll, and still capable of not showing hate. A great theory which was posted earlier.
I mainly saw it as he had some respect for Clemens as a soldier at war, and he figured why stop him now. Clemens had done the impossible and managed to elude him up till the bridge. And by being on the bridge waiting for Clemens, he was able to let both Clemens and himself know that he could have prevented his escape. He saw that despite Clemens determination, when it was the two of them on that bridge, Clemens knew it was over and he lost.
So with that Kamenev figured I've stopped him, I've won, why bring him back. Kamenev got his man and got to be a good guy at the same time.
That was my overall feeling, but I do agree with most other posts.
It is possible that Kamenev figured he would be shot in Persia under suspicion of espienoge, but he probably figured if he does it's not his problem.
Like I said I doubt that the scene was real, but I did think it made a good ending.
Possible, there could be many suitable reasons to the question. It just depends on how you see it. I guess you can never know unless you ask the director himself.
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What I'd like to think(and did at first) is that he had earned his respect and let him go in. But the next few scenes indicate that he may have known that the Iranians would get him.
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I could care less, but I don’t care enough to bother.
My first impression was that Kamenev wanted to let Clemens know that in the end Kamenev won the battle of wits, and Clemens only lives because Kamenev allow him to be.
Then again, it could also because Kamenev was affected by the dead Polish Jew.
wiltvid: you watch way too many movies IMO; rpielke got it as far as I'm concerned.
shareBecause at that point he couldn't stop him from crossing. He made it appear to the Iranians that Clemens was a Soviet agent so as soon as he crossed the border he was arrested and sentenced to death for being a suspected Soviet spy.
shareI could never figure out why Kamenev didn't alert the border grab him when Clemens showed up. Of course, it's possible that Kamenev knew the Iranians would arrest him as a spy. However, the Iranians could just have as easily grabbed Kamenev when he crossed the border. It seems to me that Kamenev, who had been chasing him for years, would have preferred to see Clemens rot away in a Gulag than allowing him into Iran from where he could have gotten back to Germany and did.
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