Das Leben der Anderen

     Spree Day being in the way, we did not have time to discuss last weeks movie. Even though I am guessing most of you have already seen it, lets refresh our memories with a brief summary. The story is set in East Berlin six years before the fall of the Wall. Captain Wiesler, a zealous and devoted Stazi officer is given the mission to spy on a prolific East German writer named Georg Dreyman. Dreyman is being suspected of collaborating with the West and of helping fellow artists that are opposed to the regime. Wiesler a lonely and dull man, spends his days listening to Dreyman and his girlfriend Christa-Maria (she is the real trigger for the investigation on Dreyman, in fact, the Culture Minister is infatuated with her and wants to get rid of Dreyman for that reason). He eventually gets attached to the couple and decides to not only ignore the numerous insinuations of treason but he also goes as far as protecting them. His efforts will not save Christa-Maria but the writer gets away free of charge. Eventually, Wiesler's actions are suspected by his superiors and he is retrograded to the lowest post possible. However, after the wall has collapsed and the surveillance files are open to the public, Dreyman discovers the truth and decides to write a novel about the man who saved his life. 

      This movie is remarkable for several reasons. The tension is palpable from end to finish and the viewer gets sincerely attached to the morbid Wiesler character. However, what makes it really stand out is its account on human nature. It shows that no matter what the greater cause is, personal gain and human greed are the motivation of many political actions. The minister is a perfect example of that. Dreyman would've been left alone if it was not for the minister interest in Christa-Maria. Also, the fact that the minister is able to comfortably reposition himself in the government makes the whole, East-West conflict almost a risible political issue, instead it becomes more a coq match between men of power whose only interest is to maintain this power. This of course can be tied to our discussion on Adorno and Horkheimer: the ruling minority uses the good of the people as an excuse for personal gain. Feel free to elaborate on that!