Das Leben der Anderen (2006)
Lives of Others
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the announcement by the East German government signifying the end to the socialist GDR regime and the start of the destruction of the Berlin Wall.
For most of us it’s hard to imagine what it’s like living under a government hell bent on forcing an ideal on its people. Today we acknowledge big brother but not in the privacy of our homes. We think it crude not to have a say in who represents our communities at a local through to national level. It’s hard to imagine a politician taking away your right to express yourself through art or to be told what is acceptable to read and watch. For the citizens of East Germany it was all too real only two decades ago.
Das Leben der Anderen (Lives of Others) is set in a drab 1984 where we observe the life of a Stasi agent, Gerd Wiesler, as he spies on others. He is renowned for his interrogation skills and his loyalty to the party is unquestionable. He is a proud and intelligent man who teaches at the Stasi University and carries out field work with a precision reserved for Swiss watches. A deliberate man, he lives alone and has very few interests outside of work. With his straight spine and piercing eyes he observes and reacts with a calculated soldier like efficiency.
When his superior and old friend, Anton Grubitz, becomes obsessed with advancing within the Stasi hierarchy he quietly disapproves. Anton drags him along to a theatre performance where Wiesler observes Georg Dreyman and Christa-Maria Sieland, a power couple working as artists with the blessing of the GDR. Through unfounded suspicions Georg is placed under surveillance which results in every inch of his apartment being wired. Wiesler is tasked with finding something, anything, to discredit Georg.
Around the clock Wiesler and a colleague monitor every spoken word and sound made. They type reports on the movements, conversations and even on their intercourse. The joy-filled life led by Georg and his feelings for Christa-Maria begin to affect the stone character of Wiesler. Fuelled by new-found emotions and the contempt for his superiors abusing the system he slowly starts to see life in a new light. Things come to a head when the previously loyal Georg himself opens his eyes to the wrong doings of his government.
It’s chilling to witness leaders of millions categorise their citizens, blacklist them, imprison, torture, spy and generally destroy lives. Many citizens, like Georg, simply wanted to live life and experience all it had to offer. Boxed in by a system not of their choosing they adapted and got on with their lives. Many however could not cope and so took their lives or tried to flee the country.
First time writer/director/producer Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck does a spectacular job of conveying the sense of oppression of the time. The world he has created is so grey and drab it’s almost as if the volume has been turned down on life. Without being consistently reminded you can sense through the visuals the subdued frantic mood of the populace. There are no gimmick shots or lavishly rendered special effect and nor was there any need for that. Just a dull portrayal of reality which mesmerises you. Florian’s story stands tall on it’s own merit and his flat and conventional presentation suits it perfectly.
Winner of dozens of awards around the world this film deserves to be seen even if only to witness the performance of Ulrich Muhe who plays Wielser. Muhe was a teenager during the last days of the wall and like many of his colleagues in this film he witnessed first hand the oppression and revolt leading to 9 November 1989.
What an utter disappointment it is then to see the recycling machine that is modern Hollywood plan a re-make for release in 2011.