The Steel Fist

In an unidentified Central European country "somewhere behind the Iron Curtain," a group of students stage a riot to protest the Soviet occupying government's forced labor program. Student Erik Kardin leads the protest, and when the police hunt for him, turns for help to his uncle, Prof. Kardin. Unknown to Erik, Kardin is the secret leader of an underground rebel society, and immediately deduces that the state will pursue the boy mercilessly, in order to set an example to the rest of the country. Kardin sets in motion a plan to smuggle Erik to the country's border, where underground workers can help him escape. To this end, he instructs Erik to rendezvous at a railroad kiosk that evening, and send a signal by dropping a magazine. Erik flees, unaware that soon after, police capture his uncle, who commits suicide rather than give up inside information. At the railroad station, Erik sees his name already published in the local newspapers. After he drops the magazine, a charwoman whispers to him to board the next train to Trebek and pretend to have a bad tooth. Erik does so, but unfortunately sits next to a nosy woman who questions him loudly about his destination and lack of luggage. After she leaves, the underground agent on the train informs Erik that the woman's suspicions have placed him in danger, and instructs him to stay on the train until the border town of Buchenlein, which is close to the military post but thinly guarded. Erik obediently stays on the train until the last stop, although he grows fearful when border guard Capt. Giorg Nicholoff and a local girl, Marlina, sit behind him. When Marlina guesses that Erik is a student and Giorg insists he is a laborer, they order Erik over to settle their dispute. To protect his identity, Erik claims to be a machinist and befriends the pair, but leaves them as soon as the train reaches Buchenlein. There, he is clandestinely instructed by the conductor to head to the local church, whistling "Blue Danube." On the road, Erik is shocked to discover that his next contact is Marlina, who brings him to the home she shares with her brother Franz. They explain to Erik that fugitives stay with them until dark, when they can cross the border in secret. The two risk their lives each day pretending to be collaborators with officers like Giorg, in order to gain information to help the resistance. Erik, realizing that if he is found and his true identity discovered it will endanger these kind people, asks to leave immediately, but is informed that he will only cause more trouble by trying to flee alone. Soon, they hear that the police are conducting a country-wide search for the missing student, and have blocked all roads and borders. Later, Giorg, who is in love with Marlina, visits to warn them to stay inside. The trio tries to sleep, but in the middle of the night, Erik overhears Marlina and Franz discuss the danger of their situation. Hoping to spare his new friends, Erik sneaks out the roof window, but is immediately caught by a local guard. With no other choice, Erik kills the guard, which forces Franz to carry the body into the woods to hide it. Marlina is furious with Erik, but he reveals that he is the wanted student, and suggests that they all flee the country together. Franz returns and, still unaware of Erik's true identity, punches him, them calms himself. Franz declares that Marlina will lead Erik over the mountain the next day, while the guards attend a festival. Before going back to sleep, Erik, who is falling in love with Marlina, asks if he can write once he reaches safety, and she consents. The next day, Giorg visits to ask Marlina to marry him, leaving in confusion after she tries to discourage him. Giorg uses information gleaned from spies to unravel the underground chain of communication, arresting in turn the charwoman, train passenger and conductor who helped Erik. Giorg is on the road to the church whistling "Blue Danube," unaware that he is about to trap his beloved Marlina, when she spots him and runs back home. Giorg loses her trail but, now aware that an underground agent is in Buchenlein, organizes a house-to-house search. He plans to murder hostages one by one until the traitor is caught, but Marlina convinces him to be compassionate. When Franz approaches Giorg, he sees a photo of Erik and realizes that his guest is the famous student. By joining the guards searching the surrounding hills, Franz is able to lead the police away from the escape route, allowing Marlina and Erik to race across to the border. During the treacherous climb, Marlina explains that Franz will not run away with them, because he must be a part of the movement to save his country. As they round the top of the mountain, Franz's band of guards closes in from the other side, forcing Franz to kill two of them. Marlina asks Franz's permission to run away with Erik, and although Franz agrees, when the couple reaches the bottom of the hill, they spot Giorg there and are trapped. Realizing that the only way to save Erik is to distract Giorg, thus ruining her own chance for escape, Marlina strides out in the open. With just enough time for Erik to promise to wait for Marlina across the border, he makes his way to safety.