Ask me what I know about the Stasi and I would have probably replied that he was the bloke who partnered with Hutch in a 70s American Cop show. My knowledge of what happened behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ was as about as much as the Soviets wanted me to know i.e. nothing. This wasn’t because I could not access some information, more because I couldn’t be bothered. However, with age come more than just a few grey hairs and an increasing awareness of your own mortality. The thirst for knowledge becomes more than just a reason to pass an exam, but is actually pleasurable. Therefore, when German film ‘Lives of Others’ arrived at my house I did not flee the unknown, but embraced it.
Mid 80s East Berlin is under the control of various powers sympathetic to the Soviet Union. Under this regime of repression it is best to get on with the powers that be as those that fight it have a tendency to go missing. The Stasi are the secret police that keep an eye on suspected dissidents and Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler is one such officer. His beliefs in the ideals of Communism are so acute that he lives a life obsessed with his job. Georg Dreyman serves the regime in a different way by producing plays that comply with the Communist ideals, but are still slightly too liberal for some. When Dreyman dates someone that the Stasi disapprove of they send Wiesler to spy on Dreyman and his artistic friends. Will a glimpse into this new lifestyle instil further his Communist ideals, or will he change?
To be fair my opening paragraph is a little misleading as I actually studied the collapse of the Soviet Union as my dissertation so know a little about the Stasi. However, if you asked me in person I would probably still try the awful Stasi and Hutch joke, or the equally poor Gavin and Stasi. In terms of films I have not seen that many set in Berlin, last being the fun ‘Goodbye Lenin’, that was surprisingly short of interrogation. However, after seeing ‘Lives’ you can tell in just under two hours that life in Berlin was; repressive and frightening.
It is the performances in the film that really make it stand out, with star Ulrich Muhe imbuing what it was to be a true believer in the Communist ideal. Muhe was not able to see all of the success the film brought as he died soon after. This only adds to the pathos of the role. The slow change of Wiesler from devotee to cynic is subtly played out over the entire run of the film. He is torn between what he believes and the fact that others around him may only be using Communism as a way of gaining power. There are no moments of Oscar baiting here, but a quiet man slowly going through a breakdown.
Muhe’s portrayal of Wiesler is so dominates the film that the rest of the cast pale in comparison. Sebastian Koch as the artistic Dreyman is reasonable if a little bland, but it is the other less savoury members of the Stasi who take some of the limelight. Wiesler and his colleagues contrast brilliantly with the repressed bohemia of the drama set. They live in two separate worlds, but only one of them holds the power. The underlying tension between the secret police and the normal citizen is what really makes the film. Small moments were the police warn a passerby or a neighbour slams a door in fear, highlights some of the terror that people must have existed in on a daily basis.
Although not a true story you can tell that writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck did his research on the period. Everything seems very real and all the situations the characters find themselves feel like they could have happened. von Donnersmarck keeps the pace of the film down to allow the performances to breath, but never makes it boring as being captured is always a possibility for any character working on the wrong side of the law. The central performance of Muhe is enough to make the film a must watch, but it is enhanced by a story that is both compelling an eerily realistic. If you are not put off by subtitles then this is a film that is a must see.
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Year: 2006
Cert: 15
Starring: Ulrich Muhe and Sebastian Koch
Price: Amazon uk £3.99
Play.com £3.99
Extras
The version I saw had subtitles and little else in terms of extras.
