Open This Box!

Shanghai in the 1980's. A German man drowns his sorrows in the Seaman's Mission bar and chats to Jim and Carmen. The day after tomorrow they will take the Trans-Siberian Express train from Beijing to Berlin. They are excited, but their new German friend has some words of warning for them. Their food, books and other valuables will be confiscated by the over-zealous border guards who board the train at various points along the way through the wilderness of Mongolian and Siberia. It is almost impossible to avoid. Jim however, takes this as a challenge and devises an ingenious method of deception. On the train, other passengers can be heard remonstrating with the guards, but to no avail. Two Americans are arrested and removed from the train. Miraculously though, Jim's scheme works. The result, however is a matter of personal humiliation for Jim in front of his girlfriend.