I feel compelled to write a rare--for me--review because I feel that the only previous reviewer missed the point of this movie almost entirely.
It's true that the photography and setting are beautiful. It's also true that the title refers to the gently-sloping bike lane that the two protagonists choose for their camping weekend in the country. However, like almost everything else in the film, it also may allude to the gradual, almost imperceptible manner in which a "hike in the woods" can degenerate into a mad rush to terror.
The film opens in an antiseptic institution of unknown character wherein one of the central characters, Johann, finds himself. In voice-over, he tells of a fable involving a fox and a hare. The fox is attempting to lure the hare into the deep woods for a little adventure. The hare, ignorant of any impending danger, is finally persuaded. "I'm game", he intones. The scene then cuts to a passenger car on a train bound for the German countryside. The young man we have just met now has a new-found companion, Robin. It soon becomes apparent that the two very attractive young men are lovers, each with a bit of a masochistic/sadistic streak. The balance of this rather brief study in human nature--at a mere 75 minutes--is a test of the viewer's aptitude at deciphering which of the two boys is the hare and the other the fox. Every detail in the film is critical to avoiding being blind-sided by the ambiguous and chillingly abrupt ending.
