European Film

Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Imagine a world where everything you say or do is watched by the government. Sound like an episode of Black Mirror?

This was often a part of a public figure’s life in Eastern Germany. There could be microphones hidden behind your light switch, cameras in discrete places above your door, and wire taps on your phone. Get an insight into state spying in this film, and their role in shaping the countries artists. The Lives of Others reminded me of a Speilberg great because of it’s great characters. But for all you who don’t trust me, trust Rotten Tomatoes, there’s a 93% chance you’ll like it.

Why Watch the Lives of Others?

• Are you interested in what went on behind the ‘Iron Curtain’? The accuracy of the film’s set and atmosphere stunned former East Germans!
• You’re scared by what Edward Snowden leaked a few years ago?
• To learn some vital interrogation techniques!
• This film won the Academy Award for the best foreign language film in 2006.

The Breakdown

The Lives of Others opens with a uniformed guard leading a man down a hallway that looks like a prison row. He is sat in one room opposite another uniformed man who starts to interrogate him. As the victim denies his involvement in smuggling a friend out of the country the director cuts to the same interrogator giving lectures to a group of university students. One student speaks out against the interrogation techniques and receives a cross against his name in the professors notebook. This guy doesn’t play around. Sure enough, he also gets an answer from the victim after keeping him awake for over 24hours and threatening to detain his family.

In the next scene, our clinical professor/interrogator is sitting at a local theatre watching a play by Dreyman. The subtle anti-state sentiment in the play sparks Wiesler’s suspicions. He can smell a rat anywhere. He gets out his binoculars to take a good look at Dreyman, who is sitting at the back of the theatre on his own. Seeing him through Wiesler’s binoculars makes him look even more alone. In Wiesler’s sight Dreyman is vulnerable and unaware of what is going to happen to him.

Also pay attention to the protagonists’ apartments which really add to the characterization of the two main characters. As state surveillance minister, Wiseler’s apartment is in an imposing concrete block of flats. His apartment is spotlessly clean, with two small uninspiring pictures on his four walls. In contrast, Dreyman’s flat is messy and cluttered, with books stacked up on his desk and against the walls. As a result, their rooms add to their characters. Wiseler’s apartment signals precision, decisiveness, and a distinct lack of emotion. In contrast, Dreyman’s messy apartment makes him seem even more creative, friendly, and relatable.

Conclusion

Out of all the films I’ve reviewed for this site so far, I think that The Lives of Others is a great place to start on your foreign film adventure. It is a great story, easy to follow, and carries a lot of tension. If you’re a seasoned film buff, it’s time to add this to your collection!