Running Time: 138 minutes
Directed By: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Written By: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Main Cast: Ulrich Muhe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme
Click here to view the trailer
"NO, IT'S FOR ME"
As I mentioned in an earlier, "update" post, this 100 films will be thick with films from the 1940s, as well as movies from the 21st century. Today I take a look at the winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 79th Academy Awards - "The Lives of Others".
The film is set in 1984 in East German or the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It revolves around the group of Stasi officers, who are hundreds of thousands strong and who's goal it is to "know everything". The Stasi officer that the film focuses on is Captain Gerd Weisler (Muhe), an expressionless, emotionless and very cold man, who follows orders and does his job well, interrogating suspects and using any means necessary to "know everything". When Weisler's superior, Anton Grubitz (Tukur) invites him out to a play, Weisler accepts. Grubitz points out the playwright, Georg Dreyman (Koch), stating that he is a socialist sympathizer and a standout citizen of the GDR. Weisler doesn't buy it and notes that Dreyman looks suspicious and should be watched. After conferencing with his superior, Grubitz is ordered to bug Dreyman's apartment and find out what he can about him. Dreyman's girlfriend is the actress, Christa-Maria Sieland (Gedeck), who also lives in the apartment and who will also be under surveillance watch, which will be headed up by Weisler. However, after weeks of listening to phone calls, watching cameras and observing his subjects, Weisler begins to form some sort of bond with Dreyman and Sieland.
All I really have to say is that the film was quite brilliant. When I started it last night, I was feeling a little under the weather and unsure if I'd be able to finish it before I succumbed to my pillow and a good night's sleep. Well, my suspicions were correct and wanting to give every film in the book my full attention, I too a respite from it. This morning, when I awoke and got ready to finish the film, I still wasn't sure of my exact thoughts on it. I definitely wasn't feeling the "must see" vibe and I assumed that when it was all said and done, I would give it an average rating. Boy, was I wrong! The film continued this morning and I watched intently, first laying down, then to my elbow to get closer to screen, as the suspense was turned up and I really started to grow attached to these characters, not unlike Weisler's attachment to his surveillance subjects.
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My biggest attachment was to Weisler himself, who grew from a cold, emotionless man into someone who was ultimately punished for caring. What a wicked world where someone is punished for showing basic, human characteristics. I'll jump to the end and announce that I was nearly in tears, as Weisler (now a mail carrier) walks into a bookstore to find a novel by Georg Dreyman, opening the first few pages and finding that it's dedicated to him. In fact, the entire final hour was just so gripping. The entire time I assumed that the end would see Weisler and Dreyman finally meet and at first, I thought that would be the logical ending. Again, I was wrong, as the ending that was in place was actually perfect and in a way, I feel like the two did meet. They knew about one another, Dreyman realized that Weisler helped him and Weisler knew that Dreyman appreciated his help.
I really don't know what else to say. I've just finished the film and perhaps I didn't give myself ample time to let it all sink in. What I do know is that the film is great and I'd recommend it to anyone. For anyone out there who "doesn't watch foreign movies", I feel sorry for you, because this is the type of greatness that you're missing out on. Sure there's a healthy dose of politics involved and a heaping side of history lesson, but that's simply the backdrop to a film about genuine, human emotion trying it's best to thrive in a cruel world. This is a gem of a movie and deserves all the accolades that it's received. In fact, I see one final accolade in it's future - a spot on my next TOP 20.
RATING: 9.5/10 I can't go '10' because I'm just not feeling it, but nevertheless, this is a great movie, '10' or no '10'.
MOVIES WATCHED: 418
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 583
March 28, 2012 12:31pm
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