 The Lives of Othersa.k.a. “Das Leben der Anderen”MPAA Rating:
for sexuality/nudityReviewed by: Rev. Grant Wright Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
½Primary Audience:
Adults
Genre:
Drama, Foreign, Thriller, Politics
Length:
2 hr. 17 min.
Year of Release:
2007
USA Release:
February 9, 2007 / DVD release: August 21, 2007
           Relevant Issues
 Suicide, what does the Bible say? Answer If a Christian commits suicide, will they go to Heaven? Answer  Discover the good news that Jesus Christ offers
 
This film won an Academy Award for “Best foreign language film of the year.”
“Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany’s Secret Police listened to your secrets” Captain Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) a devoted stasi officer is given the task of monitoring and gathering evidence against a famous play write Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch). However, this is motivated by Minister Hempf who is more interested in Dreyman’s girlfriend, actor Christa-Maria. This sets the scene for a film of surveillance, political abuse, and, in the end, compassion. The title “The Lives of Others” comes from Wiesler’s lack of a life as he becomes the full time surveillance of Dreyman. He becomes obsessed with the lives of Dreyman and Christa-Maria, beginning to see them for what they are, people who care about the state of their country. It isn’t long before Wiesler becomes their unbeknown protector. This is not your typical cat and mouse film, but rather the cat trying to protect the mouse from the larger, meaner cat. This is a foreign film and plays out like one. It may seem a little slow to the typical American audience, but those who enjoy good story telling will enjoy this film immensely. At times, the dialogue in German is fast, and it was a slight strain to keep up with the subtitles. From a moral standpoint, this film is not perfect. I was expecting worse, since it is a foreign film, but most of the sensual scenes were shot artistically, including Christa-Maria showering, where only her back is exposed and her arms cover a side profile. One scene with a prostitute in Wiesler’s apartment reveals breasts. The language, for the most part, was good with two slips of the F-word and one S-word. From a Christian perspective, I really focused in on the compassion and sacrifice shown in this film. Although it is very different from what Jesus has done for us in His work on the cross, I cannot help but draw parallels. Dreyman did not know how much trouble he was in, but someone who was watching and cared about him did. This caring watcher stepped in to help Dreyman in his time of need. God doesn’t just love me because I follow Jesus, He first loved us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). God has stepped into our lives and done something about the trouble we are in, even though we really don’t know how lost we truly are. What Wiesler did for Dreyman is compassion, what God has done for us is grace. Violence: Mild / Profanity: Mild / Sex/Nudity: Moderate See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Positive - I was very impressed with the quality and content of this film. I prefer foreign films over domestic, usually. There tends to be more originality and substance in foreign productions. This film did not disappoint me. The story in particular is noteworthy, as it traces the emotional and spiritual development of a staunch secret service officer as his heart softens and he begins to understand the evil of his regime. The scene with the prostitute is quite strong, as is an implicit rape in a car. The many levels of the content—the personal, the political, the emotional, the physical, the spiritual—make for a rich movie experience. I heartily recommend this movie to mature moviegoers. Positive - The principle action in 'The Lives of Others' takes place in 1984, and reveals that almost all of George Orwell's premonitions proved true. We are given a glimpse into a world in which God is replaced by the state. Sadness, slavery and death are the inevitable results. Yet, even in an evil society such as Communist East Berlin, God finds a way to speak to man. He speaks through an unlikely hero, a man who spies on his fellow citizens. The man is the state’s perfect paramour, but his own worst enemy, until he undergoes a conversion. He gains a new life when he loses his old one--his story is a metaphor for Twentieth Century Europe and for the entire human experience. This is a beautiful cinematic story infused with much more light and hope than the dark and creepy 'Pan’s Labyrinth', another recent foreign language film dealing, but not as well, with the evils of totalitarianism. 'The Lives of Others' is about real heroism--refreshing in the way 'United 93 ' and even '300' have been, and a welcome departure from the heroism as desperation theme that weighed down recent movies such as 'The Departed', 'Flags of Our Fathers', and 'Zodiac'. Positive - …The long standing ethical question of whether lies and deceit (rather than truth) can ever represent the correct or moral course of action for an individual is at the centre of the plot of this film, although probably few will comment on this. Gerd progressively comes to believe in the non-socialist values espoused by Georg in his writing and through his music - which are at variance with those of his socialist superiors. And to query why the suicide rates are so high under socialism. As a result Gerd engages in progressively more and more elaborate lies and fabrications, at significant personal risk, in order to protect Georg from the East German Stasi. |
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