Sunday, December 2, 2012

Film Review: Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others)

Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) (2006) Written & Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck; Winner of Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006. (It beat out Pan's Labyrinth.)

I grew up during the Cold War, a time when Europe was sharply divided by the Iron Curtain and the idea of the Berlin Wall coming down was fodder for insane predictions touted by tabloids. Then the year after I graduated from college, European communism began to dissolve, and the Berlin Wall was leveled to the ground. Suddenly we found ourselves living in a drastically changed world.

Fall of the Berlin Wall, while East German Border Guard Looks On - photo from bbc.uk
The Lives of Others is a beautiful German film that explores life under East Germany's communist regime. The story opens in 1984. Secret Service Agent Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is a ruthless interrogator, ambitious and single-mindedly devoted to ferreting out "enemies of socialism." For him, human nature is viewed through a very narrow lens, with no room for ambiguity.




Playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) has remained in the good graces of the East German government, enabling him to continue the work he loves at a time when many writers, directors, and other artists are being blacklisted. His lover, Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck) is a successful actress. Christa-Maria catches the eye of a corrupt government official who exploits her for sexual favors. He makes sure Georg is placed under rigorous surveillance, seeking a reason to arrest him. Secret Service Agent Wiesler is assigned to the case.

Georg's life is -- in many ways -- a rich and passionate one. He is surrounded by books and friends and devoted to his lover, Christa-Marie. He believes in the ability of humans to change for the better and in the redeeming power of art.


As Weisler becomes a voyeur in Georg's world, we get glimpses of Weisler's hollow, lonely existence. He becomes intrigued by Georg and increasingly absorbed in the playwright's life. Meanwhile, a tragic event prods Georg to find a way to stand up to his autocratic government, putting him and Christa-Marie on dangerous ground.

This is partly a political thriller, with well-paced, tightening suspense, and partly a drama. It is also a rich, fascinating character study of Weisler. Ulrich Mühe is amazing -- he plays the role of a man carefully trained to keep his face impassive, revealing nothing, yet he portrays a rich array of emotions with tremendous subtlety.

The Lives of Others is a beautifully acted, exceptional film. A moment of silence, in this movie, speaks volumes. It offers a glimpse at the ways -- large and small -- that people take a stand against an autocratic regime, at great personal risk. It also shows how individuals find a way, in ruthless circumstances, to assert their humanity. I found it exceptionally moving and powerful, as well as a revealing look at an important part of history.

5/5 Stars

7 comments:

  1. I thought this film depicted the issues of surveillance in a memorable way, and deserved the oscar win.
    As you said on my blog, Barbara (2012) you might enjoy, but I wouldn't watch it immediately, because it's pretty similar to The Lives of Others. I know bonjour trisesse loved Barbara more than I did...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Chris! I'll add Barbara to my list.

      Delete
  2. Oh wow, a full score!! I so want to see this film so bad!! Too bad von Donnersmarck's follow up The Tourist is such a stinker. It was only worth seeing for Timothy Dalton's supporting role.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean. I was excited about this movie, and immediately went online to see what else this director has done. The only full-length feature I found was The Tourist -- and oy! What awful reviews!

      Delete
  3. Glad you loved this one. It's been a while, but I loved it when I first saw it. Another one I need to rewatch. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does seem like a movie that would hold up well with a second viewing. I may see it again soon, since I'm trying to get my husband to watch it.

      Delete
  4. I completely agree with you. This is a truly great film. It gets one of my rare 5 our of 5 ratings, too. And it's sad that this turned out to be Muhe's last real film. He died not long after it won the Oscar.

    ReplyDelete

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts -- reader comments make this blogging gig worthwhile. :-) Due to excessive spam, we are now moderating all comments. Like that dude in the Monty Python skit, we just Don't ... Like ... Spam. I will try to post and respond to your comments as quickly as possibly.