Rating: ****/5 (more of an average rating, ya I’d have given 3.5…)
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Synopsis
In the time of the German Democratic Republic (East Berlin), a scriptwriter, Dreyman (Sebastian Koch), and actress, Christa Marie Sieland (Martina Gedeck) are kept under surveillance by the Stasi (something like your KGB) for being suspected revolutionaries. Wiesler, a lonely man, further isolated due to the nature of his job and the oppression of the government, is the Stasi member in charge of the surveillance. But as he becomes closely acquainted with their every move, he decides against reporting their anti-government actions and secretly becomes their ally…

On the surface, this film may appear to be a showcase of how a political force ruthlessly strips her people of the freedom to speech and action, but I feel that it highlights a theme that has always been predominant in society - loneliness.

Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is obviously a lonesome character in this film. He is filmed in a classy home - alone, eating - alone, doing his surveillance work - alone, handling the investigation - alone, as a lecturer - separate from his students, and as an interrogator - alone. He doesn’t speak much, but his actions seem to show a yearning to belong somewhere and to have some meaning in life. This he found subconsciously with his clandestine input with the anti-GDRs. It is as if he wanted so much to be part of something that would hold more significance than the government that he was disillusioned with. At the end, when he sees the book ‘Sonata for a good man’ by Dreyman, dedicated to him, he smiles. A small yet precious smile.

For me, I thought it was a beautifully crafted film; choosing to centre on various human foibles instead of the atrocities of the war (a definite been-there, done-that). I loved the ending… Shortly after Christa-Marie betrays Dreyman, she returns home and takes another one of those solo baths where she attempts to wash away all the guilt. Not long later, the Stasi arrive to retrieve the evidence. Unknown to them, Wiesler had already removed it. When Christa-Marie is faced with the entire Stasi just trampling through their place, she rushes out to the street and is instantly run over by a truck. It’s kind of bittersweet sort of ending. “There’s really no other way to end it.” - a fan had raved after the movie.