A heart-wrenching window into the workings of the Stasi and the GDR

Rating: 10/10 (26 October 2016)

The Lives of Others shows the ways in which the Stasi manipulated and intruded on the lives of East German citizens. The strength of this portrait is in its portrayal of Haupmann Gerd Wiesler as surprisingly human. But: what does it mean to be human? A recurring theme in German history is that of humanity and evil: are evil people human, or monsters? Or are humans really just evil? Such questions come up repeatedly throughout the film. Georg Dreymann and his girlfriend Christa-Marie Sieland are the primary objects of surveillance throughout the movie. Dreymann is a playwright known for his humanistic portrayals—his plays are, in the words of Minister Hempf, optimistic and full of hope. Hempf replies to this by telling Dreymann that "people don't change (themselves)." The tension between Dreymann's worldview and that of Hempf plays out in Wiesler's character development. At the beginning of the film, Wiesler matches Hempf, as he tirelessly and zealously seeks out "arrogant" enemies of the state. His perception of humanity is that they must be monitored carefully. It is as if Wiesler considers himself something inhuman, and this is evidenced by his Spartan existence. Even his haircut appears severe; his apartment is empty, and his kitchen bare. Wiesler knows nothing of the comforts of home, or family, or love. Yet, as the film develops, he begins to desperately seek the things he encounters in the lives of others. First, he seeks substitutes and living vicariously, hiring a prostitute and entering Dreymann's and Sieland's apartment just to experience it. However, he later takes on a more active role, sympathizing with Dreymann and the other playwrights, and even their subversive activities. The climax of Wiesler's development comes at the death of Dreymann's friend and colleague Albert Jerska. Dreymann plays The Sonata for a Good Man. "Can anyone who has heard this music— really heard it—be a bad person?," Dreymann asks. Wiesler, with a tear streaming down his face as he hears the music through his headphones, has heard the music. Wiesler eventually pays the price for his sympathy with his career. At the fall of the Berlin Wall, he is found opening letters in a windowless basement; when he learns of the end of the wall, he walks out, abandoning the GDR for good. Meanwhile, in the coming years, Dreymann discovers that whoever was monitoring him had helped him escape certain imprisonment—a man identified only by his name HGW XX/7. He dedicates a novel, The Sonata for a Good Man, to HGW XX/7. Wiesler, working as a postman, sees the book in a bookstore and reads the note from Dreymann. As Wiesler takes the book up to the counter, the cashier asks if he wants it gift wrapped. "No," Wiesler says, "it's for me."
Overall, the film is one of the best-done works I have ever seen. Typical of German cinema, it's incredibly deep and thoughtful, and leaves a strong impression. The Lives of Others is one of the saddest movies, but also one of the best.