Review of The Lives of Others (2006) by Damjan R — 06 Sep 2012

I thought I could just watch this film and dismiss it as so many other films about espionage and the like. I really wanted to hate Weisler, from the beginning of the movie on. But I don't. He becomes human, and that is perhaps the most unsettling part of the movie full of things that are unsettling. I ended up with as much sympathy for Weisler as I did for Dreyman, who played his part beautifully as well. Dreyman tows the party line for as long as he can, until he starts to see the damage it is doing to the people he loves. The suicide of Jerska is truly painful, his presence lingering long after he was dead.

This was a fantastic film, with depth and meaning, and a lingering affect.