Synopsis

In East Germany in the 1980’s, a communist government surveillance expert studies a playwright who’s suspected of subversive, anti-socialist intentions. The government spy gets caught up in the playwright’s life in a surprising way that changes both his own motives and his own life, and ultimately has a tremendous effect on the lives of the playwright and those in his inner circle. (German; subtitled)

Pros:

• Solid direction, engrossing story.


• Strong performances.


• Smart, thoughtful. This film is something special.

Cons:

• A moment of violence toward the end of the film that seemed jarring and out of place.

Generally:

4 and a half out of five stars. Great film.

Extended Review:

In 1974, between installments of the Godfather series, Francis Ford Coppola released a relatively subdued, small film called The Conversation. Featuring one of Gene Hackman’s finest performances in the lead roll, The Conversation is my favorite of Coppola’s films, mostly for the same reasons that make it seem an anomaly among his work. The Conversation is character driven and hinges on the quiet power of Hackman’s acting. Given the nature of most of Coppola’s other films, this small movie seems almost out of place.

It was impossible for me to watch The Lives Of Others without thinking about The Conversation. Both films are stories about surveillance experts who get drawn into the lives of the people they’re spying on; drawn in to the point of becoming participants in the events they’re supposed to simply observe. Both movies work primarily because of strong performances by their lead actors. But The Lives Of Others is an even less conventional film than The Conversation. It more honestly considers the ambiguities and the gray areas between right and wrong than Coppola’s film. I still prefer The Conversation to The Lives Of Others if only because the older movie is punchier, more “economical.” But, if I’m completely honest, I’d have to say that I believe that The Lives Of Others is more resonant, and probably has more to say about the conflicts within the human soul than The Conversation does. More than most other films do, for that matter.

Much has been written by a number of self-congratulatory critics who’ve jumped at the chance to draw parallels between 1980’s East Germany, as depicted in The Lives Of Others, and Patriot-Act-era America. Don’t believe the hype. Any thread that might exist between modern American politics and this story is tenuous at best, and any reasonable viewer would surely note the differences between communist oppression and American liberty. In a DVD extra interview, writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck makes it clear that his story isn’t intended as metaphor for the modern world. It’s instead a commentary on the inhumane policies of Soviet style communism and the way that a genuine love for mankind might have changed men like Lenin for the better. Ultimately, though, politics are a secondary element in The Lives Of Others. At it’s heart, this is simply a story about loneliness and desperation, and about the human need to trust and be trusted. Von Donnersmarck isn’t as concerned here about political matters as he is about matters of the heart. To the extent that communism is a factor here, it simply serves as the source of ubiquitous dread that haunts the characters.

As Wiesler, the government man, Ulrich Mühe gives a performance that reminded me quite a bit of a young Kevin Spacey. I mean that as a serious compliment. I’m talking here about the Kevin Spacey of movies like Glengarry Glen Ross, not the guy who makes films like K-Pax. I’m talking about Kevin Spacey in his prime. Mühe reaches that level of acting in The Lives Of Others, and his performance carries the film. The role calls for subtle character development, and Mühe never plays his whole hand. I sometimes found myself surprised by the character's actions, but I never found them implausible. Over the course of this movie we see a man change dramatically, but in baby steps, and often against his own conscious will. Another actor might have overplayed the part. Ulrich Mühe is right on key, and utterly convincing. That's remarkable when you consider that, as a man tasked with simply listening, he has relatively little dialogue in the film.

Best of all, after the crucial conflict of the story has been resolved, the movie continues with a post-script that’s as poignant and important as anything that’s come before. Some movies don’t seem to know when to end. This movie featured a final act that really could have been edited out to make the film tighter, but it wasn’t excised, and I’m glad. The final act of this movie changed everything before in meaningful, profound ways. I expected The Lives Of Others to end twenty minutes before it actually did, but once the closing credits rolled I was glad to have stayed with these characters a little longer and to have had the chance to learn more about their lives in post-communist Germany.

My one complaint with the film involves the death of one if the main characters. The movie’s principle conflict is resolved in a shocking way, and I don’t want to tell you too much. I will say, though, that there was a moment of violence that really drew me out of the movie. It seemed out of character and a bit too much like a soap opera for this thoughtful and reserved film. It broke the spell for me for a minute, and left me feeling a little frustrated with the director. I sat there thinking ”Oh, come on, (Character X) wouldn’t have died that way. OD’d on drugs, maybe, but not that way…”

After we watched the movie, my wife made a strong argument to me in defense of that one scene. Her take on it made sense, and her perspective made that scene seem more “organic” to me. Still, while actually watching the film, that one scene distracted me enough to bug me. It marred my initial enjoyment of what I’d have otherwise considered a pretty darn perfect film.

Ultimately, though, The Lives Of Others really is a smart, evocative movie full of insight and reflection on how we effect each other, sometimes without even realizing it. The movie stayed with me for a few days after I saw it, and I’ve thought about it since then. It’s even given me reason to stop and think before I spoke a couple of times in the last few days. Like Schindler’s List and Ikiru, this is a movie that I’m sure I’ll always be glad to have seen.

Trailer:

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Post Script - I was saddened to learn just now when I read Nehring's review that Ulrich Mühe died of cancer this past July. His passing makes his performance all the more poignant. I hope his work in The Lives Of Others finds a wide, appreciative audience.

Labels: Movie Reviews, Movies