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The Lives of Others, 2006
In 1980s East Germany, a man named Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe) works for the Stasi, spying on and interrogating those suspected of anti-government or anti-Communist activities or views. Wiesler is efficient and cold in his work, until he is assigned to conduct surveillance on a playwright named Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his wife, Christa (Martina Gedeck). Wiesler begins to develop a fascination, and almost an affection for the couple, which leads him to begin interfering with the investigation.
I quite enjoyed this drama-thriller.
One of the things that I really enjoyed about it was how it showed that even within a supposedly rule-bound, rigid system, the human element will always influence things, for better or worse. From the very beginning, the surveillance begins in part because a government official lusts after Christa. From there, Wiesler cannot help but be moved by the ideas and emotions expressed by Dreyman, and from there cannot resist giving the course of events a little nudge.
I also appreciated the way that the film showed how unforgiving the government system was. From the first moment Wiesler chooses to omit damning information from one of his reports, it's very much an in-for-a-penny/in-for-a-pound situation. Wiesler's fate becomes intertwined with Dreyman and Christa. The us versus them mentality of the government has created a situation where Wiesler must choose a side, and once he bends the smallest bit, he is on an irreversible slide.
I also really liked the lesser theme of art as resistance. Dreyman has stayed on the right side of things because of his general perceived loyalty to communism. But he has one friend who has been blacklisted, and another who is under intense scrutiny because of ideas they have expressed in their works. Christa, an actress, is also acutely aware of her career and self-expression being something that hangs by a thread in this society. There is a thread that runs through the film, as Dreyman is given sheet music for a piece called Sonata for a Good Man by the friend who was blacklisted. Later, Wiesler is very moved listening to Dreyman perform the piece on the piano. The title of the song will come to play a role in the final act of the film.
I didn't really have any specific complaints about this one. Initially I had a mixed response to the final 10 or so minutes, which serve as an epilogue to the rest of the film and involve some jumps in time. At first I found myself grumbling that I wished they ended the film in the "present" of the film. But as I've thought about it, I do think that the last 10 minutes provide closure and completeness to some of the major themes of the film and the character arcs.
I think that there was a very predictable way that this film could have gone, which would be the spy falling in love with the person they were watching. I do think that Wiesler develops a platonic love or affection for Dreyman, and by removing any overt notions of romance or lust, it becomes clear that what Wiesler is responding to in Dreyman is his ideals and his bravery.
Really solid film I've been meaning to get around to for a while.
The Lives of Others, 2006
In 1980s East Germany, a man named Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe) works for the Stasi, spying on and interrogating those suspected of anti-government or anti-Communist activities or views. Wiesler is efficient and cold in his work, until he is assigned to conduct surveillance on a playwright named Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his wife, Christa (Martina Gedeck). Wiesler begins to develop a fascination, and almost an affection for the couple, which leads him to begin interfering with the investigation.
I quite enjoyed this drama-thriller.
One of the things that I really enjoyed about it was how it showed that even within a supposedly rule-bound, rigid system, the human element will always influence things, for better or worse. From the very beginning, the surveillance begins in part because a government official lusts after Christa. From there, Wiesler cannot help but be moved by the ideas and emotions expressed by Dreyman, and from there cannot resist giving the course of events a little nudge.
I also appreciated the way that the film showed how unforgiving the government system was. From the first moment Wiesler chooses to omit damning information from one of his reports, it's very much an in-for-a-penny/in-for-a-pound situation. Wiesler's fate becomes intertwined with Dreyman and Christa. The us versus them mentality of the government has created a situation where Wiesler must choose a side, and once he bends the smallest bit, he is on an irreversible slide.
I also really liked the lesser theme of art as resistance. Dreyman has stayed on the right side of things because of his general perceived loyalty to communism. But he has one friend who has been blacklisted, and another who is under intense scrutiny because of ideas they have expressed in their works. Christa, an actress, is also acutely aware of her career and self-expression being something that hangs by a thread in this society. There is a thread that runs through the film, as Dreyman is given sheet music for a piece called Sonata for a Good Man by the friend who was blacklisted. Later, Wiesler is very moved listening to Dreyman perform the piece on the piano. The title of the song will come to play a role in the final act of the film.
I didn't really have any specific complaints about this one. Initially I had a mixed response to the final 10 or so minutes, which serve as an epilogue to the rest of the film and involve some jumps in time. At first I found myself grumbling that I wished they ended the film in the "present" of the film. But as I've thought about it, I do think that the last 10 minutes provide closure and completeness to some of the major themes of the film and the character arcs.
I think that there was a very predictable way that this film could have gone, which would be the spy falling in love with the person they were watching. I do think that Wiesler develops a platonic love or affection for Dreyman, and by removing any overt notions of romance or lust, it becomes clear that what Wiesler is responding to in Dreyman is his ideals and his bravery.
Really solid film I've been meaning to get around to for a while.