Meet Gerd Wiesler, a Stasi (East Germany's Secret Police) Captain, whose expertise are interrogation and eavesdropping techniques. An idealistic man, Wiesler truly believes in Communism, and he does his job with ruthless efficiency and a quiet pride. Every day, he dutifully dons his somber uniform which often strikes fear in the hearts of East Germany's repressed citizens and carries on his duty for the Motherland.
A Seemingly Routine New Project
One day, Wiesler's superior gives him a new project: eavesdrop on everything that goes on inside playwright Georg Dreyman's every room in the house and report daily because officially, the Minister of Culture Bruno Hempf suspects that Dreyman might be a traitor (the real reason is because the ridiculously overweight Minister desires Dreyman's actress girlfriend, Christa-Marie Sieland).
The opening of the movie thus explains why the title is called The Lives of Others, as Wiesler embarks on an adventure through the lives of his subjects.
Initially, the cold and methodical Wiesler cannot find anything incriminating on the couple, as their days and nights are usually spent having parties, artistic conversations and sex.
Just as Wiesler begins to have doubts, he finds out that the Stasi, an organization that he has dedicated his life to, is rife with corruption. He is outraged with the apparent lack of standards among the Stasi's upper levels. Worse, he realizes that the Minister of Culture has been blackmailing Christa-Marie into sleeping with him, even though she is disgusted by the Minister and truly loves Dreyman.
Here Comes Trouble
Dreyman is becoming increasingly disillusioned with Communism himself. He is especially distraught over the suicide of another artist who has been blacklisted (thus forbidden to work) by the Communist regime. To retaliate, he decides to secretly write an investigative article on unreported suicides in East Germany for a Western German magazine Der Spiegel.
Wiesler himself also courts trouble as he realizes that his own life is so empty and that Communism has failed him. He starts to falsify his daily reports to protect Dreyman, only to arouse suspicions in his own superior. As the film goes on and the audience grows more and more emotionally invested in the lives of others (just like the film's title) - mostly the three main characters (Weisler, Dreyman and Christa-Marie), the sense of unease and foreboding climbs to an unbearable pitch.
A Subtle, Slow Burn of a Movie
Originally titled Das Leben der Anderen in German, The Lives of Others is directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, whose slow camera movement and expert use of lighting combine to produce a drama/thriller that is taut, touching and yes, a bit stressful to watch.
The camera tends to linger on subjects and situations, mounting up frustration regarding what is unsaid (but truly understood). The difference in lighting also adds to the sense of danger - the warm tones inside Dreyman's house convey a sense of (ultimately false) comfort and safety, while the fluorescent bulbs inside the Stasi's offices, interrogation rooms and Wiesler's house communicate the paranoia and fear that permeates every aspect of East German life under Communism.
There was one scene in The Lives of Others that portrays an elderly female neighbor of Dreyman and Christa-Marie covertly watching Weisler and his team sneaking into Dreyman's apartment to plant the bugs and listening devices - she is also watching "the lives of others" through her peephole door, but this time she watches in fear as the notorious Stasi efficiently go about their duty. Unfortunately, Wiesler was too sharp for her - he could tell that she was watching and he simply had to offer a few choice words to ensure her silence.
Our Very Own Lives of Others
One thing that viewers can get from watching The Lives of Others is a new perspective on empathy and understanding towards other people's lives, motivations and wishes. Not everything is what it seems because unless one looks very deeply, one cannot fully grasp any situation or a person's state of mind.
Perhaps this film might encourage some to take another look at somebody else they have rejected or made a judgment about. After all, life sometimes does give second chances.
Frances Suselo - Frances Suselo began having trouble sleeping a year after she left journalism. Then she realized that she actually needs to dump her busy ...
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