board77

The Last Homely Site on the Web

The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen)

Post Reply   Page 1 of 1  [ 8 posts ]
Author Message
Berhael
Post subject: The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen)
Posted: Wed 02 May , 2007 9:43 pm
Milk and kisses
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 4417
Joined: Wed 27 Oct , 2004 11:03 am
Location: lost in translation
 
First of all, please forgive my awful German, I remember the nouns but not if those are the right articles... :oops:

I saw this film yesterday and was immediately entranced. On the one hand, the topic (the workings of the Stasi and citizen surveillance in old Eastern Germany) seemed bleak enough, but the fact that it had got the foreign film Oscar and that a similarly-themed film (Goodbye Lenin) was one of my favourites a couple of years ago, motivated me to give it a chance (I've gone off hopeless, depressing films ever since I watched Letters from Iwo Jima. It may be the hormones but I'd much rather watch something vaguely optimistic right now).

I thought it was brilliantly crafted, the story manages to come full circle in a satisfactory manner that doesn't feel contrived, and the characters feel believable enough. Top acting as well - it was easy to feel immersed in the bleakness of the DDR in the 80s. Not something that I've experienced first hand, but it reminded me well enough of the atmosphere of Spain in the 70s before Franco's death. That rarefied, asphixiating political blanket that dominates all speech and life, and makes everyone paranoid; something that anyone who has always lived in a democracy cannot really grasp.

Which is why it surprised me that the Academy gave it its highest gong - there are enough universal themes in The Lives Of Others to appeal to anyone, I think (loyalty, love of freedom), but the premise of living and working, and creating art, in a restricted environment where your every step is watched, is quite a particular experience. But maybe that's what made it attractive?

Anyway, I recommend it to anyone who was disappointed by La Vita E Bella and thought it was a load of sentimental dross, but who still thinks that a film doesn't have to end as a total tragedy in order to be regarded as good, honest and not a sell-out.

Last edited by Berhael on Wed 25 Jul , 2007 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

_________________


"The most terrifying day of your life is the day the first one is born [...] Your life, as you know it... is gone. Never to return. But they learn how to walk, and they learn how to talk... and you want to be with them. And they turn out to be the most delightful people you will ever meet in your life."


Top
Profile Quote
Alatar
Post subject:
Posted: Thu 03 May , 2007 8:35 am
of Vinyamar
Offline
 
Posts: 8274
Joined: Mon 28 Feb , 2005 4:39 pm
Location: Ireland
Contact: ICQ
 
Couple of quick questions. Is Goodbye Lenin the film about the kid who tries to stop his mother (or maybe grandmother) from finding out that the Berlin Wall is down?

And what about those of us who enjoyed Life is Beautiful? Will we not like it?

_________________

[ img ]
These are my friends, see how they glisten...


Top
Profile Quote
Berhael
Post subject:
Posted: Thu 03 May , 2007 9:54 am
Milk and kisses
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 4417
Joined: Wed 27 Oct , 2004 11:03 am
Location: lost in translation
 
First question: yep, that's the one. I thought it was hilarious but it had a heart and a mind too (I loved the image of the giant statue of Lenin being hauled down the road).

Second question: you may find The Lives of Others a bit more harrowing... but it has a similar kind of message (that the human spirit will always survive adversity).

(I really, really disliked Life is Beautiful... I think it was a mixture of it being hyped up so much and the antics of Roberto Benigni)

_________________


"The most terrifying day of your life is the day the first one is born [...] Your life, as you know it... is gone. Never to return. But they learn how to walk, and they learn how to talk... and you want to be with them. And they turn out to be the most delightful people you will ever meet in your life."


Top
Profile Quote
Nin
Post subject:
Posted: Wed 30 May , 2007 9:46 am
Per aspera ad astra
Offline
 
Posts: 3388
Joined: Thu 28 Oct , 2004 6:53 am
Location: Zu Hause
 
Das Leben der anderen is a beautiful movie. I plan to read the book that goes along with my students next year and work on the movie with them.

It would never have occured to me to compare it to "la Vita e bella". This film shows how cruel the GDR was-- Begnini played the Holocaust like some kid's game... as it was easy to survive (which might come from the Italian context, Italy did protect its jews a bit at least) and that bothered me a lot. Whereas in the "Das Leben der Anderen" you see the cruelty of the Stasi. Not cruelty in violence, but cruelty in thought and spying.

_________________

Nichts Schöneres unter der Sonne als unter der Sonne zu sein.
(Ingeborg Bachmann)


Top
Profile Quote
Celebne
Post subject:
Posted: Thu 31 May , 2007 6:01 pm
Waiting for Faramir
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 174
Joined: Sun 04 Sep , 2005 6:58 pm
Location: Somewhere in Sparta
 
They show the movie soon in our little small town cinema. I've seen a trailer before the third 'pirates' movie, last weekend. I think, this movie is very interesting. Now, I am looking forward to 'Das Leben der anderen'.

_________________

[ img ]


Top
Profile Quote
Berhael
Post subject:
Posted: Wed 25 Jul , 2007 1:29 pm
Milk and kisses
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 4417
Joined: Wed 27 Oct , 2004 11:03 am
Location: lost in translation
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6915665.stm

:(

At least he saw the great success of the film.

_________________


"The most terrifying day of your life is the day the first one is born [...] Your life, as you know it... is gone. Never to return. But they learn how to walk, and they learn how to talk... and you want to be with them. And they turn out to be the most delightful people you will ever meet in your life."


Top
Profile Quote
Di of Long Cleeve
Post subject:
Posted: Wed 25 Jul , 2007 2:06 pm
Frodo's girl through and through
User avatar
Offline
 
Posts: 989
Joined: Sun 06 Mar , 2005 10:08 pm
Location: The Shire
 
I saw this a few weeks ago. I wanted to see the film that beat out the fabulous Pan's Labyrinth for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar!

I was EXTREMELY impressed. :)

Very powerful, without being melodramatic.

Very sobering to me to realise just how much recent history this is.

_________________

"Frodo undertook his quest out of love - to save the world he knew from disaster at his own expense, if he could ... " Letter no. 246

Avatar by elanordh on Live Journal


Top
Profile Quote
Nin
Post subject:
Posted: Wed 25 Jul , 2007 5:53 pm
Per aspera ad astra
Offline
 
Posts: 3388
Joined: Thu 28 Oct , 2004 6:53 am
Location: Zu Hause
 
I came here to announce the death of Ulrich Mühe. I will read the book with students next year and watch German news tonight.

:(:(:(:(

_________________

Nichts Schöneres unter der Sonne als unter der Sonne zu sein.
(Ingeborg Bachmann)


Top
Profile Quote
Display: Sort by: Direction:
Post Reply   Page 1 of 1  [ 8 posts ]
Return to “Made in Dale: Hobbies and Entertainment”
Jump to: