It's 1984, and Capt. Gerd Wiesler is an agent of the Stasi, the East German Secret Police. Weisler carefully and dispassionately investigates people who might be deemed some sort of threat to the state. Shortly after Weisler's former classmate, Lt. Col. Grubitz, invites him to a theatrical piece by celebrated East German playwright Georg Dreyman, Minister Bruno Hempf informs Weisler that he suspects Dreyman of political dissidence, and wonders if this renowned patriot is all that he seems to be. As it turns out, Hempf has something of an ulterior motive for trying to pin something on Dreyman: a deep-seated infatuation with Christa-Maria Sieland, Dreyman's girlfriend. Nevertheless, Grubitz, who is anxious to further his career, appoints Weisler to spy on the gentleman with his help. Weisler becomes deeply emotionally drawn into the lives of Dreyman and Sieland, and becomes something of an anti-establishment figure himself, embracing freedom of thought and expression.
This is a German film that is completely in German with English subtitles. There is a lot of dialog, so if you want to know what's happening, you have to pay attention and be prepared to read a lot. If that doesn't bother you, you'll be rewarded with a very good foreign film. The story is deep and intense, while the characters are well developed which results in a movie that is interesting and captivating. The subject matter is obviously not very happy, but it's definitely a good learning experience (i.e. learn from past mistakes, so you don't repeat them). It's amazing to think the Berlin Wall came down just 18 years ago in 1989. While this wasn't a documentary, it did provide an insight to the kind of power that the Stasi (East German Secret Police) held back then - scary. If you'd like to experience something new and are prepared to spend 2 hours reading (or learning German), this one is worth a look.
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch
The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment