The Lives of Others

The Lives of Others is just plain smart and good and up for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Okay, the movie is slow. But you just have to sit back and let East Germany of 1984 take you over. I loved how the streets were almost empty (in the middle of East Berlin).

The director, Florian Henckel Von Dommersmarck, creates a spare and terrifying world where creative human beings are controlled by monster bullies. It’s claustrophobic. The worst dream you’ve ever had about being held down by others. The set design by Silke Buhr is all finished wood paneling and brownish curtains. East Berlin in 1984 looked much like 1962. I love the design. It’s easy on the system. But its neutrality adds to the paranoia.

The three main actors, Sebastian Koch as the playwright who turns against the communist party, Martina Gedeck as the pill-popping actress who is of weak yet beautiful character, and Ulrich Muhe as the Stasi Captain who has a turn of the soul, all give lovely, clear performances that are wonderfully, humanly layered. And the supporting characters, wonderful and interesting all.

About halfway through, I felt a certain disappointment, like, “When is this thing going to get moving?”
And then it did. And it was rough.

Can you imagine not being able to say and do what you want? The movie eventually jumps to 1989 when the wall falls. This is very interesting, too. No need to give away any plot at all. The ride is subtle and harrowing. Humanity triumphs. But not completely.

I visited East Berlin in 1983. It was quite odd. It felt like one was under constant surveillance. It was colorless as there were no signs, no advertisements. And the design of curtains, furniture lighting was definitely from an earlier time. Strange suffocating place.

How did it ever happen?

Can you imagine if Bush is right and we do have to take out the fundamentalist, warring Muslims because of their hatred of freedom? Imagine? Can you?

The Lives of Others