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.

Das Leben der Anderen (2006) is a post from: itsa FILM thing

12 Angry Men DVD Cover

More than likely you have not heard of the director or most of the cast and the screenplay was penned by a predominantly unknown TV writer. They each have had respectable careers and in some cases a distinguished one. There are no big Hollywood stars here and you would be forgiven for scratching your head clean trying to find one and yet they are a part of cinema history. In working together to create 12 Angry Men these unlikely fellows got the ingredients right for magic on film.

Set during a time when only males were allowed to sit on the jury, 12 Angry Men opens to the final moments of a murder case in which an 18 year old ‘ethnic’ boy is accused of murdering his father. The jury is left in a small room to reach a unanimous decision which will either free the boy or send him to the chair. It’s Friday afternoon after a six day trial and it’s the hottest New York day of the year. Overwhelmingly the evidence is stacked against the boy and it comes as no surprise to see eleven of the jurors vote guilty on first count. Only one man has reasonable doubts and the will to stand alone against his peers. Throughout the course of the evening he attempts to convince the rest of the panel that the boy is possibly innocent.

Shot in the confines of a small rectangular room we witness a spectacular character study of the twelve men who are only known by their jury number. They sit around a rectangular table and clash over the facts of the case, their beliefs and values. Each man brings his own set of life experiences and throughout the evening we learn that they are as individual as their numbers. Stupid, impatient, ignorant, bigot, resentful, racist, insecure, inadequate, bully, arrogant, smug, bitter, extrovert, superficial, courageous, patient, calculated, forceful, meek and the rest of the gamut. Without it being too obvious the script ingeniously pitted a broad range of character types in a small room to create heated gripping conflict.

Over the years the script originally penned by Reginald Rose as a teleplay has been adapted to theater, TV and on the big screen numerous times. It is considered a classic studied in film schools all over the world. Theatre productions to this day perform the play and will do so well in to the future. This is all a credit to the original teleplay but also to Henry Fonda, producer and star, who recognised the work and asked Rose to adapt it to a feature length film.

Direction for the film was provided by Sidney Lumet who used the play roots of the script to great effect. Long one frame scenes make for gripping drama which is a credit to the cast and director. Everything is tightly directed and you even pick up bits of information about the jurors from their interactions in the background. Shooting in a small room is obviously limiting but Lumet used this to great effect. The first act gives us a broad view of the room and its occupants with the use of wide angle lenses only to shift to longer lenses and tight shots as the scenes intensify. The gradual change subconsciously creates a claustrophobic feeling. Lumet, with only TV credits at the time, went on to direct other classics such as Serpico in ‘73, Dog Day Afternoon in ‘75 and Network in ‘76. A string of hits anyone would be proud of. He is still directing films and kudos to him for a career over 50 years long.

It is the sum of all the humble parts that create this masterpiece. Frequently making the lists of favourites for movie goers, it continues to impress with age and with each viewing. I can only share my highest recommendation with you. Taking my advice to watch it is up to you.

12 Angry Men (1957) is a post from: itsa FILM thing

Since then the technology has evolved enough not to make people nauseous. The colours have improved and gone are the red and white cardboard glasses to be replaced with grey-lens plastic disposable ones. Before too long I can see movie goers purchasing their own more comfortable glasses. Directors are coming to terms with the technology and even though we still see them use 3D as a gimmick, Hanna Montana and Journey to the Centre of the Earth being prime examples of late, we also see great executions such as Up and Coraline.

The ease with which 3D can be created now, even post production, means more film makers are paying attention to it and taking it seriously as a means of improving their product. Easy does not come cheap though and on average 3D costs 15% to 20% on top of the normal budget. Also the fact that it’s easy does not mean it should be done automatically. George Lucas is rumoured to be planning re-releasing something called Star Wars(?). No dice George! I really should qualify ‘easy’. I’m not in any way dismissing the technology or skill that goes into creating this effect. The DreamWorks supercomputer that renders their footage is said to be among the top 15 in the world. What I meant was with the backing of technology, especially cameras that give them immediate feedback, film makers are free to go nuts with experimentation. In analog days you had to shoot with two cameras simultaneously on film and pray you get it right the first time.

Other big names dabbling with the dark magic include Steven Spielberg with Tintin and friend of Hobbits Peter Jackson who is making the sequel the following year. Tim Burton is making Alice in Wonderland and James Cameron with the eagerly awaited Avatar. Americans are also being treated to sports and rock concerts in 3D! These directors, along with many others in Hollywood, are banking on theatres willing to foot the bill to convert to digital in order to show 3D. I’m willing to bet Avatar will be the driving force for a lot of theatres making the shift. Benefits of converting include an increase in revenue with some theatres reporting up to 4 times the income over 2D versions and not having to deal with film reels but rather data feeds. As always the downside for the consumer is an increase in ticket cost! Earlier tonight I watched Up and paid AU$20 before I even took a sniff of the popcorn.

I have no doubt that 3D is a huge shift. It’s as big a shift as sound and colour was all those decades ago. They’re taking this to the next level and I can’t wait to see this technology spill over to the home PC and home theatre market. During the trailers for Up I noticed they pushed the comment, “Only at your cinema”. For now they are correct and the industry will and should take full advantage. This will be the upper hand they’ve so desperately needed over piracy. As 3D becomes more mainstream and consumers grow accustomed to it they will start to return to the cinema. In a way, along with the advancement of technology, piracy has forced the industry to evolve.

If the Pixar example of Up is anything to go by I can accept the shift. Not a single thing flew out at me and in general I did not see 3D used as a nasty gimmick. As per usual the clever folks at Pixar used the technology to tell a better story. Not the other way around. As an example, the colours were vibrant when Carl was happy and muted when he was sad while at the same time the world was more 3 dimensional when he was happy and flat when things were looking down for him. Subconsciously it affects the viewers emotions. This is where Pixar excel and film makers dabbling in 3D need to take note.

3D: The New Black is a post from: itsa FILM thing

Retro Cool DVD Cover

Sure sure it’s just a movie but it’s a ‘Coen’. The brothers Joel and Ethan Coen are just getting their groove on in 1994. On the back of Barton Fink and Millers Crossing they give us this retro stylised comedic look at ruthless corporate life in the late 50’s that truly is larger than life complete with a demon sign writer and angel maintenance worker… Don’t let that dissuade you from watching this film though since it really isn’t about anything as heavy as angels and demons. I’m doing my best to refrain from full fan boy mode here but I’m warning you if the Coen’s should ever cross my path I will enter shrieking-teen-girl mode and I will get my scream on. Ever since the 90’s they have had hit after hit. They followed Hudsucker with two of the greats in the 90’s being Fargo and the mediocre release but arguably first internet cult classic, The Big Lebowski.

It’s 1958 and Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) is a good natured but dim-witted graduate from small town America. He comes to overwhelming New York with a big idea in his pocket – you know, for kids – but he struggles to find work until he happens upon an advert from Hudsucker Industries. Paul Newman plays Sidney Mussburger who is so stone cold he puffs on his ex CEO’s cigar moments after he took the short trip to the pavement via the 44th floor window – 45 floors counting the Mezzanine. The Hudsucker board led by Sidney devise a plan to maintain majority control of the company by replacing the CEO with an unsuspecting puppet, a proxy if you will. Their choice grabs the attention of the press and in particular one fast talking Amy Archer played obnoxiously by Jennifer Jason Leigh.

There you have it, a devious old man taking advantage of a trusting fool who gets mixed up with a curious wise cracking know it all journo out for a story and we have a… rather pleasant story. That’s a Coen recipe for a pure satire of the most enjoyable kind. It’s just unabashedly over the top with superbly animated characters and gorgeous sets with lots of detail. From the beautiful opening scene you get the tone of the movie and it’s carried right through to the end. It’s dark and dense but it never appears harsh to look at. It never asks you to believe this world is real but rather to just let go and enjoy the imaginative ride that is Coen magic.

I’m not a fan of the montage in movies. It’s a cheap way to compress lots of time into a neat package on the back of even cheaper music. I do concede it’s necessary for the most part but I still don’t like how little effort directors put in them. Not so here. We are taken for a ride through the process of conception for a Hula Hoop complete with witty stages in accounting, R&D, manufacturing, marketing and finally out in the street where it becomes a huge success. It’s just another indication that everyone on set really tried to make something great.

My favourite scene however has to be the diner scene (see video above) purely for the brilliant use of commentary by two taxi drivers who are sitting opposite our unsuspecting duo. The camera slowly zooms in on Norville and Amy while a lone violin accompanies the sad scene. You quickly forget the taxi drivers as their deep soothing voice becomes your thought process directing the scene unfolding in front of you. And then you think back and realise amongst all this they were also talking about how they had gas.

A friend asked me why I chose this particular movie to review as my very first on this blog. I didn’t really have an answer and I mumbled my way out of a reply. Having the time to think it through I can confidently tell him that this is an example of why I watch movies. The very first time I saw this it was late at night and by chance I caught the beautiful opening scene as the camera floats past dark lit roof tops while snow is gently coming down. I did not leave my seat until the credits broke the spell.  What better way is there to start writing about films than with one you adore?

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) is a post from: itsa FILM thing