Iron Curtain
Directed by John Cheney/ Reviewed by Biplab Das
Iron Curtain takes us back to the days of communism. This short gives us a glimpse the life under the communist regime in East Germany. This chilling drama gives a sight of how life was under communist-led East Germany. The film is a story of hope enmeshed with multiple painful events. The thrill, the tension, and the pain in the story make the film stands out. Those of you who don’t know about life in erstwhile East Germany then this film is the best option to understand people’s lives under the communist.
The best part of this film is its simplicity in storytelling. And this makes the film for everyone. It is quite interesting to see that life under communism has been portrayed in such a manner that everyone can see it. The oppression of the communist regime has been portrayed splendidly in the film. People get to know how people tried to escape from East Germany. The film is also a testament to friendship. Friendship triumphs every odds in this film. 
By nature, it is a short film but it has all the potential to become a full-length feature.
The director of the film is John Cheney who is also an author and lecturer. He is a multiple-award-winning director, nurturing his dreams to make a film on the iron curtain since 1998. Along with directing, he has also written and produced the film. The actors of the film have done a splendid job in pulling off portraying the life under communism. Marcus Lucas’s played the character of ‘Hans Schmidt' in such a style that it will get engraved in your memory forever. The way the characters get into the story is really interesting as if they were the characters from the cold war era.
The story of the Iron Curtain is simple. It is a story of freedom. Two friends tried to cross the Berlin wall but one of them died. Then the film shows how hard to live behind the iron curtain when a person gets noticed by the authority. Iron Curtain has a tragic ending but that doesn’t mean the film is a tragedy. 
The film has many instances of hope. Hope to leave East Germany and reach West Germany. At the end of this hope has been retained. The hope here works as a force; a force to reckon with.
The film talks about the human element of the cold war. A large portion of people aged under the age of 25 had died to cross the wall. The film also has shown how tough it was growing in East Germany. It is the story of how young people try to redefine the world they were living in. In the film, two friends try to cross the Berlin wall in hope of life they hope for. Cold War is a dark chapter in modern human history. And this film is dedicated to those who tried to cross the Iron Curtain. The fall of communism shows how correct they were.
I am giving this film 4 stars out of 5. Communism in Europe without any violence but film has some bloody incidents. It is interesting to see the film in 2021 that how tough it was for the people of East Germany to live under the communist regime. The pain and agony have been portrayed in the film well. 
Though it has a tragic end, the film ends with one thing – hope for freedom. The protagonist of the film gains the freedom that he once desired. The film reminds that why freedom is the most important thing in life.
