Review of The Lives of Others (2006) by Jim H — 02 Apr 2011

An East German surveillance officer grows to question the GDR regime as he stalks a writer and his actress girlfriend.

They say the highest form of flattery is imitation, but I think it's a pretty high compliment to quote someone. So, here is part of what aliceinpunderland wrote about this film: "Ulrich Muhe's stone-face is so quietly complex. I love the scene in the elevator with the little boy. After the boy blithely mentions his father's hatred for the Stasi, Wiesler says, 'What's the name of your...ball?' subtly marking his moral and ethical turning point from stoic agent of Stasi surveillance - and in a sense, criminal justice - to impassioned man, in love with celebrated stage actress, Christa Sieland - both her person and what she represents: the freedom that comes with embodying someone else." I couldn't agree more. Muhle's subtle performance is the highlight of this political drama set a half-decade before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

I thought it got a little slow in the second act, and perhaps it can be blamed on the language barrier, but I found some difficulty keeping up with Sieland's comings and goings and whom she was coming and going with (mostly coming).

Overall, though, The Lives of Others is a tense, powerful drama, and you won't be disappointed.