Survival Guide to a Socialist State

Rating: 9/10 (26 August 2010)

This 2007 movie set in 1980s East Berlin earned the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The film follows the life and times of successful playwright Georg Dreyman and his actress girlfriend Christa-Maria. It provides insight into the machinations of the State Police and efficiency with which an apartment could be wired for sound. Trusted employees wore headphones, made notes and typed up a report of what they heard. It was not recorded on tape. Untrustworthy employees, we found out later, were stuck in the post office basement steaming open envelopes.
Georg, as so many of the art community, was suspected of  well, we're not sure of what he is suspected, but they were out to get him. He never knew, and bragged that his apartment was "safe".
At some point, Christa-Maria is made an informant. The psychology of the artistic temperament is explained in a class for interrogators: threaten to take away their audience and they are yours. "Tell us what you hear or you will never set foot on stage again," was a threat that worked.
The State kept records of everything. Because of that it signifies when it doesn't. Georg wrote an essay on suicide in East Berlin for publication in the West. In 1977, the GDR quit keeping track of suicides. That year, only Hungary had a higher rate of suicide.
Forensic science was much simpler then. A sample of everyone's typeface was kept. Subversive literature could be tracked to its source. Unlike today's disposable society, in that place and time if you had a typewriter, that was it. Fortunately, our hero's friends who wanted him to write for the Western publications knew this and brought him a small 'clean' typewriter to use, apologizing that only a red ink ribbon was available. He had a hiding place under a wide door sill where he kept it and his typed copy. Even Christa didn't know his hiding place, as he only worked when she was not there. No one trusted anyone, and for good reason, it seems. His apartment is searched, but nothing incriminating is found.
Near the end of the movie she arrives home unexpectedly and catches him with his sill up, red-handed as it were. From that point, any red-blooded American moviegoer could figure out what was going to happen and it did -- but with a twist. I thought that was the end, but wait Two years later the Wall fell. Workers steaming open envelopes passed the radio earpiece to share the news, and then walked off the job.
After the dust settled, Georg checked out his records. Evidently, a person could request his file and wait at a table in a sort of lending library reading room for it to be brought out. George had a huge file with the code name of the person in charge on each report. He was even allowed to identify the person who wired his apartment and listened to his most private conversations and who, in the end, saved him—but not Christa-Maria.
East Berlin looked so spare, harsh and clean. After the fall, the same streets were bustling with traffic and decorated with graffiti.
This movie is a compelling story of love, loyalty, rebellion, betrayal, loss, and redemption.