The Lives of Others

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Germany, 2006, 137 minutes

It is 1984 in East Germany. Playwright Georg Dreyman is on top of the world, beautiful girlfriend, play about to debut, and perhaps most importantly he is loved by the powers that be and consequently enjoys as much freedom as can be hoped for in the GDR.

However he attracts the attention of Stasi chief Gerd Wiesler, a suspicious man, cold and calculating and a loyal servant of the regime. He manages to pursuade his boss to have Dreyman placed under surveillance, believing that all intellectuals are dangerous.

Over the course of the film however he changes and becomes more human. A kind of one sided rapport develops between the two, Georg unknowingly becomes a figure of respect and even of affection for the man tapping him. At first Georg is loyal to the GDR, however when his friend, who has been prohibited from working by the regime, commits suicide his mind changes and he is willing to go against the state. Wiesler is aware of this and forges reports which allow his 'friend' to go unchallenged. However the machines of state are closing in on Georg, when a bitterly critical article appears in a west German newspaper he is under suspicion and Wiesler might not be able to protect him...

The former East Germany, like a lot of the former Eastern Bloc, has had a hard time adapting to free market liberalism and 'ostalgie' (nostaglia for the old days) is a common disease there. It is perhaps then well worth seeing this film as a reminder that there was a lot more to the GDR than dodgy clothes and Trabants. This is a hypocritical, corrupt and malevolent regime. No one believes in the ideology anymore yet it is slavishly and fearfully adhered to. It is a regime from which, as the joke has it, even nature itself wishes to escape but for the ordinary citizen there can be no respite. The Berlin wall will not fall for another five years and there is no hint of hpe that this may happen,nor is there a way of telling how long the Stasi will continue to hold the country in its grip. The actors are superb, most notably Ulrich Muehe at Gerd Wiesler. He grew up in Saxony, in the GDR and therefore perhaps has more insight into the nature of the state and the officials that populated it than another actor might have done. His performance is clinical and chilling and perfect for the part.

Many people (myself included) were surprised when the film beat Pans Labyrinth to best Oscar this year. After seeing it I was not.

This is a brilliantly assured first feature from director Von Donnersmarck. German cinema is undergoing a flowering at the moment and 'The Lives of Others' is yet another example proving this.

Review by Louise Oliver
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2007