A strange kind of comradeship

Rating: 8/10 (6 March 2010)

Perhaps the most sinister feature of the communist states of eastern Europe was the way they made a reality of George Orwell's thought police, with networks of informers so extensive that no-one could ever trust their "comrade", a hollow term indeed when you are considered an enemy of the state if you would not betray your friend to it. There are obvious parallels in McCarthyism; but the difference is one of scale. 'The Lives of Others' tells an entertaining, and ultimately moving, story set in East Germany's secret police. What I liked about the film is that it accepts the notion that everyone is compromised (and compromising) in some way in any society; compromise is what we do to survive. Again, the difference is in the degree, and this can change over time. What is less strong is the characterisation; it's not awful, and the lead protagonists do what is necessary to drive the plot, but I've seen deeper movies. Also, there is a lengthy epilogue after the film's emotional climax which seems to exist primarily to provide (unnecessary) feel-good vibes for the audience (structurally, there's a similarity to the ending of 'The Shawshank Redemption' in the way that this works). It's still a good film, both thought-provoking and enjoyable to watch; if the idea of collaboration interests you further, I recommend Kieslowski's early movies, particularly 'No End'.