While watching “The Lives of Others,” I found myself captivated by the transformations of the characters and the way in which designated titles are challenged through the sharing of stories.
As the film progresses, two main themes become apparent. The first theme, as indicated by Wiesler’s transformed attitude towards Dreyman over the course of the film, is that we gain empathy for strangers when we learn their stories. Wiesler initially demonstrates a cavalier if not hostile attitude towards Dreyman, casually bugging the playwright’s apartment and listening in on his daily interactions. As he learns more about Dreyman’s life, his loves and losses, Wiesler begins to undergo a metamorphosis of sorts, as made apparent when he is seen crying whilst Dreyman plays the piano (in memory of a close friend who had committed suicide on account of being blacklisted). The second theme evident in this film is the concept that individuals can move beyond their title as “the enemy.” Wiesler is introduced as a cruel and stern member of the East German Stasi. When he is shown harshly interrogating a prisoner in the film’s opening sequence, Wiesler appears as a classic soulless villain. Over the course of the film, however, it is revealed that Wiesler is a human, just like those he investigates. The title, “a bad man,” as a young boy refers to Wiesler, obviously drags on him. One could villainize Wiesler, but instead the film chooses to focus on his humanity, emphasizing especially his ability to change, to be overwhelmed by love, and ultimately to take incredible risk to save strangers. As an individual unfamiliar with “spy-systems,” I find myself uncertain whether the themes expressed in the film, especially the former, relate to the reality of surveillance. Are individuals performing surveillance capable of being brought to deeper understanding –as Wiesler was— through exposure to the lives they survey, or have they been so trained that they are incapable of seeing those they survey as anything beyond a one-dimensional enemy? I tend to believe that through the sharing of life stories, we are capable of understanding the humanity of those we may otherwise designate as “enemies,” just as Wiesler and Dreyman were able to do.
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AuthorStudent at the University of Washington, Sophie Aanerud, will be studying abroad in Berlin, Germany. Here are some of her thoughts . . . Archives
August 2017
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