Das Leben der Anderen (2006), Germany (aka The Lives of Others)
If there’s any film on this list that I don’t own, that I should, it’s this one. In fact, I’ll go ahead and say it here, this is one of the best films of the decade … period.
The film takes place in East Germany in the 1980s. Although the film is far from simple, I’ll keep the plot synopsis as simple as possible. Georg Dreyman, a successful playwright, and his long time companion Christa-Maria Sieland, a popular actress, are socialists who are esteemed among the party for their views and roles. However, at times they do not adhere to party lines. The Minister of Culture becomes intrigued with Christa-Maria, so he assigns secret service agent Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler to spy on the couple. What starts out as a simple assignment for Weisler turns into so much more as he becomes a distant observer in The Lives of Others.
First time director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's created a masterpiece. The storytelling is riveting, just as is the vision of the director. From the beginning of the film to the perfect final shot, there isn’t a note in the film that doesn’t ring true as we the viewer are drawn into the film just as Wiesler is drawn into the lives of Dreyman and Sieland.
Clearly this has been an overlooked film, which is a crime in and of itself. If you love cinema, do yourself a favor and see this film. You’ll be glad you did.
If there’s any film on this list that I don’t own, that I should, it’s this one. In fact, I’ll go ahead and say it here, this is one of the best films of the decade … period.
The film takes place in East Germany in the 1980s. Although the film is far from simple, I’ll keep the plot synopsis as simple as possible. Georg Dreyman, a successful playwright, and his long time companion Christa-Maria Sieland, a popular actress, are socialists who are esteemed among the party for their views and roles. However, at times they do not adhere to party lines. The Minister of Culture becomes intrigued with Christa-Maria, so he assigns secret service agent Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler to spy on the couple. What starts out as a simple assignment for Weisler turns into so much more as he becomes a distant observer in The Lives of Others.
First time director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's created a masterpiece. The storytelling is riveting, just as is the vision of the director. From the beginning of the film to the perfect final shot, there isn’t a note in the film that doesn’t ring true as we the viewer are drawn into the film just as Wiesler is drawn into the lives of Dreyman and Sieland.
Clearly this has been an overlooked film, which is a crime in and of itself. If you love cinema, do yourself a favor and see this film. You’ll be glad you did.
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