Raw, Real Yet a Bit Stiff

Rating: 7/10 (9 May 2019)

(Flash Review)
Perhaps that is the way it was in East Germany at the time just before the wall was turn down; ridged and strict. This film is about an exacting and no nonsense secret police officer/agent, Gerd, who works for the Stasi (German Secret Police) as a spy to uproot any anti-socialist movements. He is sent to spy on Dryman, a notable playwright, as there is suspicious he isn't as loyal as he seems to the Socialists. While Dryman is the one in the crosshairs, the main character with the deeper character arc really is the agent Gerd. As he lurks into every emotional aspect of Dryman's life and relationships he begins to actually warm up and care for him and those omit occasional details. When Gerd's boss asks for detailed reports, will he notice any omissions in Gerd's reports? Will Gerd allow Dryman's true intentions to be discovered or will Gerd's boss uncover his diluted reports? This film's tone was serious with a color pallet complimenting the rigidness of the era and government overreach. The story moved at a methodical pace that matched a thorough and detailed story.