worth seeing but...

Rating: Null/10 (2 August 2006)

First of all: Yes, it is a very interesting film and it is worth seeing. I think it is a good start for thinking about the DDR, I hope it is a start for "Aufarbeitung". There has not been a real discussion about what happened before 1989, yet.
I am thankful that the film gives a kind of insight and an emotional impression. I doubt that most of the people would feel emotionally involved when reading a nonfictional book about the German Democratic Republic.
There are a lot of things I could name which I liked about this film. Ulrich Mühe and Ulrich Tukur are great actors, I always enjoy watching Ulrich Mühe.
I think some of the actors playing bit parts are really worth to keep in mind: Ralf Ehrlich who appears twice (he is the one who tells the joke about Honecker); Volker Michalowski who plays the expert for typewriters; Marie Gruber (she must be the one who plays the sad neighbour with the secret) and the prostitute... I cannot find the name of the actress at the IMDb.
I believe other will emphasise what they do like about "Das Leben der Anderen" so I would like to write down what disappointed me. The soundtrack music was much too strong for my personal taste. This is the problem with most Hollywood films or films in Hollywood style: There is so much music in the foreground that it leaves no places for your own thoughts, ideas, impressions and feelings. Sometimes the music *dictates* what the viewer is supposed to feel and how he should react. To explain my problem I always give the example that in some scenes the viewer is simply forced to grab the next handkerchief. Most people might enjoy that, but I do like to *choose* how I feel when watching a scene. I want to be able to concentrate on how the actors deliver the scene, how it is put in pictures and everything else the is to notice beside that overwhelming music. Maybe you get an idea what I try to say.
I do not want to be mean but I have to say... to the end of the film I had the impression I was watching a kind of "Schindler's List" about the DDR. (I won't explain that to Spielberg fans!!!)
Still I do believe it is a start. I hope there are more films about that topic to follow!