The Lives of Others (2006)

Winner of the Oscar for best foreign film in 2006 The Lives of Others tells the story of the last years of the political divide in Germany. Despite dealing with what could be a dour and overly serious subject matter, this is actually a smaller, human film with great performances, whilst still looking at the wider issues of freedom of speech and government control. The film focuses on Gerd Wiesler, a Stazi officer whose job is to spy on suspected citizens of East Germany, then use the collected evidence to detain them. He is assigned to the case of a popular playwright who has suspected ties with anti-government contacts within the art world. From this initial setup the film manages to deftly deviate from the expected narrative, something I was very surprised by and pleased at. Rather than a simple cat and mouse game between factions, the film instead focuses on the duality of these two men and the way that Georg’s lifestyle and attitudes start to affect Wiesler. 

Beautifully crafted and told this is a subtle and heartbreaking film. Never over-explaining but always trusting of the viewer it takes its time but builds up real affinity with its cast. Each of the actors inhabits their roles expertly, but Ulrich Mühe is the obvious stand out. His Wiesler is not showy, or dramatic, he is careful, considered and repressed. His evolution over the course of the film is brilliantly handled and it’s a testament to the performance that he is able to sell what could have been trite or convenient so believably.

Like many foreign films the film is less concerned with traditional 3 act structures, and could be seen as rather long winded or boring by some but I never felt it. Instead it does a great job of immersing you in a time and place and involving you with these characters. Again as the film ends it defied my expectations, but where it went, and how it tied the final strands of the story together was understated and brilliant, a phrase which could encapsulate the entire experience. I don’t have much else to say really other than I would urge you check this film out, I had held off in the past thinking it would be overly serious and tough going, but instead found a very human, and very engrossing thriller. I hope you do too.