Guardian angel

Rating: Null/10 (6 February 2007)

Many viewers of this movie tend to focus on the chilling system of a totalitarian government. But if you remember the revelation every now and then of surveillance and invasion of privacy, all in the name of security, in "free" countries that purport to be the world's peace keepers, the impact this "shock" factor in "The lives of others" may not be that devastating after all. Permit me, therefore, to take a different angle, to focus on the individual rather than the system.
In a way, it can be said that the audience take the POV of top interrogator and surveillance agent in the East Germany Stasi regime, during the gloomy period leading towards the fall of the Berlin Wall. Through around the clock wiretapping (assisted by a subordinate) Captain Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe) monitors to the minutest detail everything in the apartment of writer Georg Dreyman and his actress girlfriend Christa-Maria, as artists form a group that the government look upon with acute suspicion.
While being professionally efficient to the point of machine-like, Wiesler is also an ordinary human being. He bullies his subordinate as any boss would. He satisfies his sexual need through regular sessions with prostitutes. But most importantly, as it is slowly and gradually revealed, he has a heart. Through a painful metamorphosis, he becomes his surveillance objects' guardian angle.
This movie is not entertaining in the conventional sense. The mood is gloomy throughout, as underscored by the somber cello in the background. Humorous spots are not entirely absent, but few and far between. Even camera deployment is at its simplest.
And yet, this movie is mesmerizing in its own way, reflecting director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's absolute confidence that the absorbing story and excellent acting will carry the day. The result well justifies his belief. Particularly worth mentioning is the excellence of Muhe's minimalist portrayal of the transformation of an apparently cold-blooded agent to a "good man". Also worth mentioning is the minimalist ending, which some may not find satisfying. I, for one, am deeply touched.
With the surprising omission of "Volver" from the Oscar Best Foreign Language Film nomination list, "The lives of others", with the credentials of the awards it has won to-date, is a strong contender. However, beating "Pan's Labyrinth", which comes with equally impressive credentials, is a formidable task.