Thursday, April 12, 2007.1:18 PM

The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen)

East Berlin, November 1984. Party-loyalist Captain Gerd Wiesler hopes to boost his career when given the job of collecting evidence against the playwright Georg Dreyman and his girlfriend, the celebrated theater actress Christa-Maria Sieland. This operation 'Lazlo' was initiated not because the Socialist Govt suspects him of anti-Govt sentiments, but that the Party secretary was attracted to the actress Christa-Maria and wants to get rid of Dreyman. What the captain Wiesler didn't anticipate was that he'd change once he was submerged in the world of the target. The immersion in the lives of others--in love, literature, free thinking and speech--makes Wiesler acutely aware of the meagerness of his own existence. He started covering up for Dreyman and the appearance of the "Spiegel" article about the suicides occuring in the East Germany sparked a whole series of interrogations that led to the death of Christa-Maria and demotion of Captain Wiesler. Eventually, when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the Secret police files were opened and Dreyman found out who helped him get rid of the typewriter that he used for the "Spiegel" article. He wrote a book "Sonaten von dem Guten Menschen" (Sonata for a Good Man) and when Wiesler (while distributing leaflets from building to building) came across that book in the Karl Marx Buchhandlung, behind the title page wrote "dedicated to HGW XX/7". HGW is the initials of Wiesler.

Such a bittersweet ending.
In fact, the actor who was cast as Captain Wiesler had first-hand experience of surveillance by the Stasi. His wife was the secret informant(which she denies).

In one of the scenes when Wiesler and his boss Grubitz were at the canteen, Wiesler insisted on sitting at the tables for the lowly staff. And one of the lowly staff started talking about a joke on Honecker, one of the leaders of the Socialist Party.
The joke went something like this...

In the morning, Honecker says to the Sun: Good Morning, Sun.
The Sun replied: Good Morning Erich.

In the afternoon, Honecker says to the Sun: Good Afternoon, Sun.
The Sun replied: Good Afternoon, Erich.

In the evening, Honecker says to the Sun: Good Evening, Sun.
The Sun did not reply.
Honecker repeated: Good Evening, Sun.
The Sun finally replied: I'm in the West, you idiot!

.:. 0C o m m e n t s.:.