The Lives of Others [Blu-ray]
![The Lives of Others [Blu-ray]](/images/The-Lives-of-Others-Blu-ray-B000P46QTA-M.jpg)
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DVD Cover Information Actor: Herbert Knaup, Martina Gedeck, Michael Gerber, Ulrich Tukur, Volkmar Kleinert Brand: Sony Cinematographer: Hagen Bogdanski Composer: Gabriel Yared DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: German (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled) Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen Picture Format: 2.35:1 Running Time: 138 minutes DVD Release Date: 2007-08-21 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Studio: Sony Pictures |
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Movie Reviews of The Lives of Others [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: Thaw Factor
Summary: 5 Stars
Watching `The Lives of Others' I was reminded of so many periodical articles that told of the oppressive existence behind the Iron Curtain. Besides a poignant drama that puts a face on human misery, the film shows just what those days were like before Gorbachev created the thaw in Eastern Europe. The movie centers around Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch), a playwright who wrote benign, but heartfelt shows that didn't cast must suspicion upon him from the Stasi, a government surveillance organization keen on bugging the dwelling places of artists and other suspicious people. Being prudent and thorough, mole Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe) bugs Dreyman's apartment and spends all his working hours listening to every moment, mundane or intimate, inside the writer's life. Splitting a shift with a colleague, we get an eerie sense--especially with the chilling, understated music--of what life was like, coming into fruition as closely as possible to Orwell's '1984'. (Significantly, the vast majority of the movie reinacts the events of that very year.) Besides a lover (Martina Gedeck), Dreyman keeps close company with elder playwright, Albert Jerska, who spars with despair after being blacklisted for outspoken writing. Tip-toeing throughout, there is an unnerving atmosphere that surrounds the relationships and any brazen initiatives to foster the truth.
I was hypnotized by the movie, but also impressed with its import. It's not only a story about Dreyman, but it shows Wiesler's shallow existence as a government spy. In one scene, Wiesler goes to a bar and tries to use a pick-up line that he heard Dreyman use with his girlfriend. The actors also convey well the fear and resignation of pre-glasnost Eastern Germany. In one particularly memorable scene, a young colleague at the Stasi comes to the cafeteria telling his friends a joke about the Party Chairman. Little does he realize that his superiors are sitting just within earshot. How he nervously finishes his joke showcases a marvelously revealing performance. Indeed, one of the great observations of the movie is how it zeroes in on those unguarded foot-in-mouth occasions that put decent citizens in great peril. From beginning to end, `The Lives of Others' really connects the dots between present and past in an illuminating way. The movie is a testament to the triumph of the arts over the human spirit. (While I rooted for 'Pan's Labyrinth' to win best Foreign Picture Oscar, there can hardly be too much of a grudge after seeing the winner.)