Based on a bestseller spy novel by popular German author Johannes Mario Simmel, this 1972 movie is a boring mixture of a typical cold war political thriller and a greasy love story. It is far too long, and the direction can't decide which way to take. The tempo of the film is boring, the plot is too twisted and there are nearly no thrills at all, but dull dream sequences, stereotype love scenes, a maniac old woman talking religious stuff all the time and ridiculously produced special effects such as the explosion of a car which looks rather like a burnt plastic model. The actors also seem not very enthusiastic about their job. The only outstanding things about "The things dreams are made of" are the weird, electronic-orchestral sound track by the Peter Thomas Sound Orchester ("Space Patrol") and an early performance by young Hannelore Elsner. Forget the rest!