Das Leben der Anderen

Not Another German Movie!

The theme of this movie is Loneliness. Epic Loneliness. Wiesler, Christa-Marie, Georg, Jerska, Hauser, even the repulsive Minister of Arts. Mostly Wiesler. The moments when he is out in the world, trying to talk to associates and strangers are so stark that he almost seems slightly dessicated in them. He knows every tiny detail of The Lives of Others and they don't even know he is there, watching them, saving them, loving them. I suppose some would blame all those consequences on the oppressive regime of the BDR. I think it's an over-simplification.

Because of the lack of human, emotional connection between the characters, everything feels tightly wound in this movie. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of it, and yet, there is not much in the way of actual violence.

I don't Sprechen the Deutch. I took it for a year in college, but it was at 7am and I was sick a lot that year. I find the sound of it vaguely soothing-- there is a lot of ach'ing and tchussing.

I must also applaud the German Cinema for making sex, plain old sex, which is so awesome, seem so unappealing. I have no idea how they do that. It's the worst magic trick ever!

I cannot, for the life of me, think of a single German Movie I've seen that hasn't been steeped in Epic Loneliness. Granted, I can only think of a handful of the titles:

La Femme Nikita
Bella Martha
Der Himmel über Berlin
Das schreckliche Mädchen

I need to find a German Comedy.