How many of us truly know what it meant to live in East Berlin, a time when secret police were everywhere, and any stray thought was considered treasonous? The Lives of Others depicts the life of two individuals in such a situation in 1984, just five years before the fall of the wall. Georg Dreyman was a famous playwright suspected by the secret police and Gerd Wiesler was the agent assigned to keep taps on Dreyman. What occurs is that as Wiesler keeps tabs on every action by Dreyman, he is slowly influenced by the free thinking, love, and literature of Dreyman's world. But Wiesler is a survelliance agent. His own career is on the line to come up with incriminating evidence on Dreyman. What must he do now?
The Lives of Others is a refreshing film. It doesn't attempt to give us a history lesson. It assumes the audience already understands the basic framework of society depicted in the film. Instead, The Lives of Others gives a very select view of one individual, Dreyman, and the one agent, a part of the terrorizing secret police who receives a humanizing treatment. Thus, the story works wonderfully. Without any special effects, the plot slowly unfolds, with only the suspenseful music and the naunces of the characters' expression to move it along. Because of this, I find the acting superbly performed.
The Lives of Others is Germany's official entry for the Oscars, and it easily won Best Foreign Film. Generally, the winners of this category tend to be more focused on artistic merits, and so it should be obvious that The Lives of Others has these qualities in abundance. However, this might also make it appear slow to audiences expecting something quicker-paced, as the trailer for the movie might imply. But, give it a little patience, and The Lives of Others will surprise with its simple and elegant delivery.
Pros: Great execution of a simple story; intriguing details of the workings of the secret police
Cons: The scenes tend to be of one color - gray; not for those with short attention spans
Conclusion: It won the Oscars for a reason. Recommended!
Score: 4.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment