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Created Sep 23, 2020 03:18AM PST • Edited Feb 24, 2024 09:42PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Perfect 5.0

   The Stasi employed 100,000 East Germans, who maintained a network of 200,000 informants, in a country of 16 million people. So roughly 1% of the population controlled the other 99%. Ring any bells America? ¹

   The Lives of Others, a Stasi romantic drama, was the first perfect movie about the tragedy of communism. Along with Mr. Jones, it dominates the wee pantheon of utopian exposés, not to mention being one of the greatest movies ever made. If you’ve never seen it, you must. If it’s been more than a decade, view it again.

   Everything the Stasi secret police say is a lie. Everything is gaslighting, done with Teutonic efficiency.

   Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s film is sophisticated and simple at the same time, the hallmark of perfection. He starts with the interrogation of a political prisoner, and expands to a Stasi class listening in. More filmic brilliance is in evidence when the theater scene deftly uses a play as a vehicle, not as a play.

   The film’s irony is that a feted writer and Stasi colonel are both socialist true-believers. The writer heads a clique of perfect artists living perfect artist lives, complete with a jazzy birthday party – Berlin at its best.

   von Donnersmarck’s masterpiece is a long movie that never flags, never lacks purpose and often surprises.

   The Lives of Others deserves its position in the pantheon of all-time great movies: important and riveting.
   -—————-

   ¹ 2020 America isn’t controlled by secret police. We’re controlled by secret algorithms, secret money and public angst. The 99-fold effect remains the same. The masses are controlled by the elites. However, we don’t face secret police today. Therefore, free thinking is all we need to break free. Public angst, shrieked at high decibels, inhibits free thinking, which is how the elites control the masses today. Don’t let them do it.

4. Acting

   Really Great 4.5

5. Male Stars Perfect 5.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Really Great 4.5

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

10. Film

    Perfect 5.0

    The Lives of Others reveals a claque of sophisticated, urbane people living ridiculous lives due to socialism. Most are true believers. Sociological studies are rarely so knowing.

    • It also plays like a thriller, with kind of a whodunnit vibe.
    • Ding: awkward transition to title card and theater scene.
    • Subtitles on Amazon Prime often get overwritten with title card like stuff that comes through the audio. For instance a title card reading [piano playing] hurts when you can hear a piano playing.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

12. Play Perfect 5.0

    “No, it’s for me.” a perfect final line

13. Music Perfect 5.0

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 3.2

17. Sex Erotic 2.7

18. Violence Brutal 3.4

19. Rudeness Profane 3.4

21. Reality

    Glib 1.1

    East Germany was the most tight-ass society ever. Jokes aren’t allowed.

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.2

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0