Guilty Parties

Rating: 9/10 (12 March 2007)

It's weird that first films from a first director get my full support, but The Lives of Others is really something special, both beautifully portrayed and written. It's also clear, of course, that Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck has skill; even though it's only his first film, some of the content of the film is so remarkable that it immediately brings up previous works from veteran directors.
Critics have already been diminishing the film, claiming that it is flat as a character study. The truth is, they're right (If Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck would have concentrated more on character study, critics would have been hailing it as a masterpiece). But if one opts to take out the character study abroad, a clear and remarkable thriller will remain. The Lives of Others is truly something special and rare, disturbingly accurate and really quite extraordinary. The film is likely to win the Academy Award for best foreign film, and in a way it deserves it, also like Pan's Labyrinth. In the end, The Lives of Others proves to the viewer not only keen film-making skill, but rather the ability of mankind to change upon its surroundings. It's rare that a beginning film reach out to me the way this one did, but The Lives of Others is a most exciting film.