Archive for the 'German' Category

The Lives of Others

Published
by
nathanshorb
on January 29, 2008
in Communism, Drama, Foreign, German and Socialism
. 0 Comments

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.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Good Bye Lenin!

Published
by
Neville
on September 15, 2004
in Comedy, Communism, Drama, Foreign and German
. 0 Comments

If you want to see the best film out of Germany since “Run Lola Run,” check out “Good Bye Lenin!” and you won’t be disappointed. It’s one of those movies where from the very beginning, you just want to know what will become of it. It’s also one of those movies where you smile so much throughout it, you’d think you were going to take the characters home with you or something.

I had no idea what this movie was about and this was a good thing. So I won’t tell you anything about it either (plot-wise). I will say though it’s a film with many layers, and when each is examined, it amounts to the kind of movie that restores your faith in the coming film years. Funny? Yes. Entertaining? Yes. Enjoyable? Yes. Touching? Yes. What’s not to love about it? However I think for me, what stood out as the most memorable or unique aspect of the story in the film was watching an ordinary son care so much about his mother. The way he loves her and does everything in the world to keep her happy might very well be–dare i use the word inspiring– to a generation who often looks down on guys with such an admirable character trait. If you don’t have movie plans for Friday night…you have some now. It’s going on my list of DVD’s to buy (however, maybe that’s not saying much…considering my growing DVD collection). Ah well. Loved it! Good Night Movie-lovers!