Good German(s)

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2007)

Since the early days of film-making--actually, since the first plays were written--the gold standard for a good dramatic work is one that combines an intriguing plot with complex characters, to illuminate something about human behavior. It's surprising, then, that so many movies still fall short of the mark. At the risk of oversimplifying things, plot-heavy movies tend to ignore character development, and character-study movies ignore a streamlined plot for the sake of a series of episodes. It takes something like "The Lives of Others," an excellent and moving drama, to remind you of how great a movie can be when it combines these elements.
Not only does this movie have a suspenseful plot that follows the logic of cause-and-effect until everything ties together beautifully, but the workings of the plot are unpredictable, and intimately linked to the characters' psychology. For drama does not result merely from watching external events happen to characters, but from seeing them actively make choices that affect their own lives and (forgive the pun) the lives of others.
The set-up is simple but highly resonant: in 1984 East Berlin, by-the-book Stasi agent Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is assigned to wiretap and listen in on playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his actress girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck). But because Dreyman has always presented himself as a loyal citizen, Wiesler dimly begins to realize just how paranoid and corrupt his government is. Also, he becomes fascinated with the couple's warm, semi-bohemian lifestyle, which contrasts with his own solitary existence. Wiesler thus finds himself reconsidering his values, while at the same time Georg and Christa-Maria reconsider theirs. Should Georg use his writing talent to reveal the horrible conditions in East Germany? Should Christa-Maria submit to a lustful government minister, who could ruin her career if he doesn't get his way? These choices are hard, and only lead to more hard choices.
This plot allows for scenes loaded with the great dramatic irony and subtext that results from one character knowing something that another does not. The movie's complex and intelligent themes include theatre/fakery/acting versus real life, and the voyeurism of a spy versus the voyeurism of a cinema-goer. And above all, "The Lives of Others" is a moving exploration of ethics and humanity. Not many recent movies ask the question "What does it really mean to be a good person?" and even fewer answer it with the honesty and depth that this film does.
"The Lives of Others" does not over-explain itself--none of the characters can confide in anyone, so they make their difficult choices without talking about why they've acted that way. Yet everything that happens in the movie has the ring of emotional truth. Thanks to the beautifully realized performances, you never doubt that the characters would behave in exactly that way, nor that they feel deep anguish in coming to their decisions.
I haven't seen all the acclaimed movies from the past year yet, but as it stands now, "The Lives of Others" is my choice for the best movie of 2006.