The Lives of Others is a German film about a Stasi spy who is assigned to monitoring a famous playwright and his lead actress girlfriend. Without giving away too much, the film shows how all of these characters and the decisions they make end up changing each others lives in very dramatic ways.
Something about how this film was advertised made me think it would be all about voyeurism and full of awkward sex scenes. (It doesn’t help that the DVD cover, of all things, features the couple in an intimate moment–a picture which, as far as I can remember, wasn’t even included in the film itself.) I decided it was something I could do without. But after it won the Oscar for best foreign film and received rave reviews from all sorts of trusted sources, I finally decided to give it a try. And I was glad I did.
It was thankfully nothing close to what I expected. Instead, it was a compelling story with surprising twists and turns, intelligently written and excellently performed. With conspiracies and coverups, it could almost be classified as a psychological thriller.
The film gives a unique and interesting portrait of life under communism. As the plot slowly unfolds, it becomes a story about courage, standing up for one’s beliefs, and inspiring others towards change. In the end, it forces you to ask yourself: “Am I living a life that inspires others?”
The Lives of Others was excellent.
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