The Lives of Others (2006)

Original Title

Das Leben der Anderen

Genre


Director


Country


Cast

Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uwe Bauer, Volkmar Kleinert, Matthias Brenner, Charly Hübner, Herbert Knaup, Bastian Trost, Marie Gruber, Volker Michalowski

Plot

In 1984 East Germany, Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), an officer of the secret police, while conducting surveillance on writer Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his lover Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck), finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.

Opinion

Danke, danke, danke für dieses Meisterstück! The Lives of Others is many things. It is a wonderful film, full of emotions and poetry. It is an example that must be followed by modern cinema, because it is possible to craft a magnificent film without special effects, violence and banalities. It is the kind of film what captures your attention from the first moment, and keeps you interested the whole time.

It is absolutely stunning to witness the process of transformation of Wiesler's character: he goes from being the bad guy, a slave of the system and enemy of freedom, to becoming a hero, a saviour. But why does the change happen? Is it maybe because of the reading of Brecht's poem? Or is it something else?

The music, stunning and heartbreaking, makes the final embrace between Georg, the writer, and his loved Christa-Maria look warm despite the tragic background.

However, the truly amazing part is that this is Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's directorial debut and he manages to build such a fascinating and moving film.

Ulrich Mühe delivers a powerful an emotional performance. He is dramatically contained, as his character requires, but there is a lot in his bright eyes, the only part of Wiesler that's still alive. Martina Gedeck gives a great performance. 


Quotes

Georg Dreyman: You know what Lenin said about Beethoven's Appassionata, 'If I keep listening to it, I won't finish the revolution.' Can anyone who has heard this music, I mean truly heard it, really be a bad person?

1 comment :

  1. This is an excellent movie and Muhe is amazing in his role. Great review.

    ReplyDelete