The Lives of Others (The Lives Of Others (DVD))

Member Name: Macfarlane65

Product:	The Lives Of Others (DVD)
Date:	03/07/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: See Review

Disadvantages: See Review

This film won best foreign language Oscar at the 2007 ceremony. It is a most absorbing film, completely involving in all of its considerable length. Wiesler is a Captain in the Stasi (the Communist East German Secret Police), a model operator, high-principled and committed, experienced too, a man the state can absolutely trust. Among other things he works at the Stasi academy, training young recruits. A leading dramatist (Dreyman) is put under surveillance, and it is Wiesler who has that job, sitting in the attic watching closed circuit TV film of the man's flat and listening in to all that happens there. As he listens, he is slowly drawn into Dreyman's life, its warmth, sensitivity and passion, and begins to realise that, beside that, his ascetic life is arid and unsatisfactory. Parallel to that, some things that his colleagues do fail to impress him ; they do not have his high principles, they are not driven by the same moral code, their behaviour increases the doubts he is beginning to feel about his whole life. For example, the whole reason for the surveillance is not because Dreyman is really thought to be disloyal but because Hempl, a fairly repulsive government minister, lusts after the actress Christa-Maria, Dreyman's mistress, and wants Dreyman out of the way. And so, in small ways at first, then very significantly but always secretly, he becomes protective towards Dreyman and Christa-Maria. The plot twists and turns, and it would be unfair to give any idea of how it resolves itself, but after all is nearly over there is the most moving twist at the very end, when Wiesler, now a humble postman after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, visits a bookshop and something marvellous happens - it makes your eyes sting! Anyway, this is a very very fine film, beautifully directed and acted, and it thoroughly deserved its Oscar.

Summary: Great film