The Lives of Others
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Movie Reviews of The Lives of Others
Movie Review: As it was then, is becoming again
Summary: 5 Stars
My brother bought the DVD because he liked it so much, and insisted that i watch it too. I did today, and it was well spend time. It is a German movie based in East Berlin in 1984, which won a bunch of awards - deservedly i might add.
It is an excellent portrayal of how a repressive regime can shape people's psychology, whether they are of the oppressors or those against. In 1984 the Stasi (GDR's secret police) had agents trained on how to spy the 'suspects' (anyone thought to not follow the regime's ideology) and how to extract information from them. Human psychology is shown to be a valuable tool in the hands of the agents, and so is their "research" on how to break down a suspect to talk.
The story follows Gerd Weisler (who actually reminds a lot of Inspector Finch character from V for Vendetta), a man who works for Stasi and is shown to be a loyal robot-like person with no life of his own, living by the rules. That changes when he is assigned to spy on a couple - Georg, a writer and his companion Christa-Maria, an actress. He seems to be discovering through them aspects of life, morality and relationships not known to him before, and against his previous beliefs. His transformation is very interesting to watch and at times i was not sure whether he would follow the Stasi code, or his own conscience; but that was true in a sense for all characters, as their actions were hard to predict. Acting is excellent, and so is the music, as well the literature/art references, which create a certain atmosphere for the audience to enter.
Yep, it is very relevant in our days, where surveillance is becoming accepted by the vast majority everywhere, without understanding where it can/would lead to, or without the knowledge that this has happened so many times in the past and will do again and again, until we learn to study history and learn from it.
This movie kept me on the edge of my sit - there's no dull or boring moment in it - and with tears on the edge of my eyes throughout. It gets 5 stars from me and i highly recommend it! :)
Movie Review: "Don't let this blackness into your life"
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those films that will shake you to your core, and deliver its message with a strength that is not commonly seen in today's movie industry. The story develops in East Germany, five years before the Berlin Wall came down. Under the socialist government, the Stasi, the secret police, monitored and controlled its citizens, ruling them with an iron fist. From brutal interrogations using psychological torture, to life-long bans for some people from practicing their beloved professions, the Stasi terrorized most of the population into submitting to the whims of the regime.
In this asphyxiating system, Georg Dreyman, a writer that is not confrontational towards the leadership of the party, becomes the target of surveillance, due to the abuse of power demonstrated by Minister Hempf. This party official wants to get actress Christa-Maria Sieland, Dreyman's girlfriend, all for himself and therefore, commissions a Stasi operation to find dirt on the writer. Here is where things get really interesting, because the faithful and implacable Captain Wiesler, who is in charge of the operation, discovers through his surveillance of the couple that the human spirit and love are more important than the strict rules of domination the party exposes. The transformation by this character throughout the movie is insightful and touching, and shows how most people are not able to leave their humanity behind, no matter how much time others spent indoctrinating them.
This story shows that there is no need for exorbitant budgets or flashy scenes in order to create a movie of the highest quality. An excellent script and inspiring performances are what get the job done in this film. The slow pace allows for an understanding of how the different situations affect the emotions of the characters, and even though I know that this will turn off some people, I found it worked extremely well with the story. If you are looking for a movie that will stir up your emotions and will leave you thinking after you are done watching, there are not many options better than this one.
Movie Review: To HGW XX/7, with gratitude
Summary: 5 Stars
Hopefully, Academy members will rightfully award the Oscar tomorrow night for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year (2006) to 'The Lives of Others.' Writer/Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's debut stands head and shoulders not only over the other nominees, but also over all the nominees for Best Picture. That so-called 'best' list pales in comparison to the heights attained by von Donnersmarck's creation. It is a expertly-plotted, richly-told depiction of life under the dominion of the East German spying apparatus, the Stasi.
'Lives' tracks the Stasi's efforts to bug and disrupt the lives of writer Georg Dreyman (a striking Sebastian Koch) and his actress girlfriend Christa-Maria Sieland (the incomparable Martina Gedeck). Assigned to the case is Stasi agent, Gerd Wiesler, indelibly played by Ulrich Mühe. The reasons for spying on Dreyman and 'CSM' (as the Stasi calls her)? A Politburo minister has the hots for CSM. That's it. For that most personal of reasons, lives are ruined. A professional reviewer of 'Lives' really hit the nail on the head when he said that the movie turns on the fact that Weisler realizes he is spying into the life of a man who is 'vastly his moral superior.' That's it. You get propelled into Dreyman's life and you are struck immediately and permanently by his decency and the quality of his character. Over time, Weisler starts injecting himself into the proceedings. At that point, the sequence of events is irrevocably changed.
von Donnersmarck's movie is a continual series of one great scene after another. I thought perhaps it had reached its denouement with the fall of the Wall. But it keeps getting better. Dreyman requests his Stasi files. He begins to piece together the story and the role of Weisler.
'The Lives of Others' is 137 minutes of the best entertainment imaginable. Ulrich Mühe is an East German who himself was the target of Stasi oversight. For this film, he was awarded Best Actor at the 2006 European Film Awards. Is there a more just triumph than that?
Movie Review: Microcosm of the defective East German political system
Summary: 5 Stars
Director F.H. von Donnersmarck does an incredible job of revealing the machinations of the Communist system practiced in 1984 East Germany. In this subversive, totalitarian society people must be careful in their every utterance, as prying ears are everywhere. Wrong thinking or ideologies often resulted in draconian measures.
"The Lives of Others" revolves around the whimsical surveillance of highly approved playwright Georg Dreyman played by Sebastian Koch. The Minister of Culture Bruno Hempf played by Thomas Thieme had become enamored with Dreyman's girlfriend renowned actress Christa-Maria Sieland played by Martina Gedeck. He commissioned the Stasi, East German secret police. to bug Dreyman's flat to find anything that would imprison him and get him out of the way.
The job of surveillance was given to Captain Gerd Wiesler played wonderfully by Ulrich Muhe. Wiesler was a formidable and relentless interrogator who actually schooled young Stasi agents in technique. Wiesler's boss and schoolmate Lt. Col. Grubitz played by Ulrich Tukur made sure to point out that their careers depended on the success of their mission.
Wiesler with typical Aryan efficiency began compiling massive files on Dreyman but could not find incriminating evidence. Slowly he began getting wrapped in the lives of Dreyman and his girlfriend Sieland. When an article smuggled out of East Germany was published in the prestigious and widely read West German Stern magazine denouncing the government and attributed to the watched playwright, Wiesler had a decision to make. Introspectively he began examining the veracity and worthiness of his mission and the sanctity of an individual's privacy. He was now forced to take action, but what would he do?
"The Lives of Others" started slowly but as the magnitude of the premise of the plot became clearer, my appreciation of the statement the film was making grew greater and greater. An exposing film such as this would have not seen the light of day had not the Berlin Wall toppled in 1989.
Movie Review: Falling into the Lives of Others...
Summary: 5 Stars
From the first frame to the last incredibly moving moment, "The Lives of Others" tells a delicate, suspenseful and beautifully moving story about an East German officer before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and how his surveillance of a playwright and his wife changes his life (and theirs) forever. The title is as much about envy as it is about discovery -- the main character is a painfully solitary man -- one who has always done his duty -- but this small surveillance changes him in ways he could never have anticipated. He grows to care for the lives he witnesses -- and to (perhaps) envy them.
For instance, there's a small incidental scene where a little boy passes on his father's insult about the Stazi (the DDR police) and the man turns to snap at the boy and to reflexively ask what his father's name is (as he is used to doing -- everyone is supposed to be 'turned in' for the slightest infraction). And yet he has changed. He can't finish the sentence. It's a very small moment but it stayed with me.
For those who may be a bit skittish about foreign films or 'art' films, I strongly recommend giving this movie a shot. It's easy to follow, incredibly well acted, and has a powerful ending. As a snapshot of a particularly grim time and place, it's terrifying. The suspense is a constant presence because of the "everyone's watching" premise -- every word overheard, every action seen, every thought anticipated. The tension is constant.
And Ulrich Mühe simply owns the film. I was so sorry to hear of his death after filming, as the man has an incredible screen presence -- he's absolutely riveting, and despite his character's quietness, your eye is always drawn to him. His face is so expressive that its very stillness is powerful (and never more so than in the film's final and very satisfying moment).
Note: The main Amazon review talks about "too many epilogues" and I can't disagree with this enough. The ending, for me, is perfect -- heartlifting, powerful, and beautiful.