The Lives of Others
2006 · Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Original language: German
- drama
- thriller
The story
In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.
What it’s like
Muted, desaturated palette of grey concrete, drab interiors and cool blue-green tints, with the bureaucratic East Berlin of 1984 rendered in flat overcast light and fluorescent corridors. Much of the film is built from long, still observation shots: a listening room lit by dim lamps and the glow of reel-to-reel tape, a figure hunched over headphones, the camera holding on faces as they decide what to say. Sound does much of the work, with a sparse piano theme set against near silence, muffled footsteps, and the hiss of recordings. The mood is cold, watchful and slowly warming, a melancholy thriller that moves at a deliberate, unhurried pace and grows more humane as its central officer's detachment cracks. Violence is limited to a few sharp, brief moments, and sexual content is handled with restraint, though the menace of surveillance and interrogation hangs over much of the runtime. Best suited to a late evening alone or a serious weekend watch, for viewers who want a quietly absorbing drama about conscience, art and the costs of living under constant observation.
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