Totalitarian states make for great stories. Dark, gloomy streets and downtrodden faces are usually the main players, along with a host of ranking officials, almost always on an immense power trip. In The Lives of Others it is no different. Set in 1984 East Germany, some five years before the wall fell, it traces the story of Gerd Weisler, a member of the secret police whose job it is to find and root out the “dangerous elements” of their society. As Weisler becomes involved in the surveillance of a famous writer, he finds himself becoming involved in his life. Slowly, as the plot thickens and as new twists arrive, Weisler finds himself questioning those whom he had once served blindly, but who are apparently the real dangerous elements.
What’s remarkable about this movie is the pacing of it all. It moves slowly but steadily to it’s climax. To the director’s credit, he avoids hammering home the senselessness of communism. Everybody knows how terrible it was, and it was a relief to not have this obvious fact shoved down my throat. Nor were there unnecessary climaxes involving people being seen in places they shouldn’t be seen and just escaping at the last minute. As the movie goes, the plot thickens and thickens, which in the end is far more satisfying. It did have it’s occasional flat moment, but as the storyline was so compelling, the strands all came together to make a satisfying whole.
First-time writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck deserves credit, not because it’s a remarkable first film, but because it’s a remarkable film in it’s own right. The fact that it’s his first, just makes it more outstanding. Of course, he did get seven German equivalents of an Oscar and numerous other European awards, so perhaps I’m not alone in my regard for the movie. Seeing this, I realize I must get out and see more movies from Europe. With their subtle narratives and unconventional style, they allow you to appreciate the art of film making from a different perspective. It’s refreshing and that’s why I’m giving this movie two thumbs up.
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