Unforgettable Movie About East Germany

Rating: 10/10 (5 November 2011)

The Lives of Others,Das Leben der Anderen in German,is a dramatic feature that marks the directorial debut Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.It is about the monitoring of the cultural scene of East Berlin by agents of the Stasi,the East Germany's secret police.The movie stars Ulrich Mühe as Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler;Ulrich Tukur as his boss Anton Grubitz; Sebastian Koch as the playwright Georg Dreyman; and Martina Gedeck as Dreyman's lover as well as a prominent East German actress,Christa-Maria Sieland.It is an Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006.
The Lives of Others has its time setting in 1984.Capt. Gerd Wiesler is an agent of the Stasi,the East German Secret Police. Weisler carefully and dispassionately investigates people who might be deemed some sort of threat to the state. Shortly after Weisler's former classmate, Lt. Col. Grubitz, invites him to a theatrical piece by celebrated East German playwright Georg Dreyman, Minister Bruno Hempf informs Weisler that he suspects Dreyman of political dissidence, and wonders if this renowned patriot is all that he seems to be. As it turns out, Hempf has something of an ulterior motive for trying to pin something on Dreyman: a deep- seated infatuation with Christa-Maria Sieland, Dreyman's girlfriend. Nevertheless, Grubitz, who is anxious to further his career, appoints Weisler to spy on the gentleman with his help. Weisler plants listening devices in Dreyman's apartment and begins shadowing the writer. As Weisler monitors Dreyman's daily life, however, he discovers the writer is one of the few East Germans who genuinely believes in his leaders. This changes over time, however, as Dreyman discovers that Christa-Maria is being blackmailed into a sexual relationship with Hempf, and one of Dreyman's friends, stage director Albert Jerska, is driven to suicide after himself being blackballed by the government. Dreyman's loyalty thus shifts away from the East German government, and he anonymously posts an anti-establishment piece in a major newspaper which rouses the fury of government officials. Meanwhile, Weisler becomes deeply emotionally drawn into the lives of Dreyman and Sieland, and becomes something of an anti-establishment figure himself, embracing freedom of thought and expression.
The Lives of Others is the best German movie I have ever seen.It is a spy film like no other since it does not cater to car chases and action scenes but rather it focuses on character of the people in the story and character development.It is a a powerful but quiet film, constructed of hidden thoughts and secret desires but nevertheless,it is not short on suspense and tension that makes it truly one engaging and absorbing film.Inspite of its political themes and implications,I still find the movie more about humanity rather than the ideologies and anti- establishment beliefs presented in it.Added to the great qualities of the film,the cast delivers in their great performance.
Overall,The Lives of Others is one unforgettable movie about the past history when Germany was divided into two nations with the East German people in particular.