Das Leben der Anderen

English title: Lives of Others (The)

Genre: political suspense

With: Sebastian Koch (Georg Dreyman), Martina Gedeck (Christa-Maria Sieland, his girlfriend), Ulrich Mühe (Capt Gerd Wiesler), Ulrich Tukur (Lt-Col Anton Grubitz, Wiesler's boss), Thomas Thieme (Bruno Hempf, the Minister of Culture), Hans-Uwe Bauer (Paul Hauser), Volkmar Kleinert (Albert Jerska), Charly Hübner (Lt Udo Leye), Herbert Knaup (Gregor Hessenstein)

Direction and screenplay: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Release: 2006

Studio: Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion, Bayerischer Rundfunk et al. 

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 8.5/10

The Spy Who Came In from the Attic

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Story-line: THE LIVES OF OTHERS takes us back to 1984 when East Germans were subjected to continuous monitoring by Stasi, the country's secret police. As the story begins, Captain Wiesler, a zealous Stasi operative, gleefully accepts to spy on the ‟arrogant” Dreyman, one of the country's best-known writers for the stage.

Pluses: a strong cast of thespians (in particular Ulrich Mühe, who manages to convey his character's emotions while mostly stone-faced), able direction, a cold, methodical and increasingly potent screenplay that weaves political and personal issues into a formidable payoff in the last 15 minutes, well-made dialogues and an effective musical score by Stéphane Moucha and Gabriel Yared.

Minuses: one may be tempted to condemn East German authorities in the harshest manner for the excesses depicted here but, in truth, abuses are also committed in the West (via social media, among other channels) for the purpose of information gathering.

Comments: in some ways – and in one striking scene near the end – THE LIVES OF OTHERS pays tribute to another great surveillance film, Francis Ford Coppola's THE CONVERSATION, but without being a copycat. Don't miss this intelligent and memorable movie that bears witness to freedom everywhere.

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