Rating :: A Sonata by Beethoven while sipping warm tea on a dreary dayHailing from Germany, the winner of last year's Oscar for 'Best Foreign Film' is a stark portrayal of Communist life in East Germany (the DDR) in an era too easily forgotten. A time when you could not trust even your lovers because the State had invaded every facet of life...constantly watching and listening to every move, waiting to pounce on even a hint of dissension.
The story follows the lives of Georg Dreyman (a playwright played masterfully by Sebastian Koch) and Christa-Maria Sieland (an acclaimed actress played tragically by Martina Gedeck) who are lovers and who have no secret the Secret Police don't know although, of course, unknown to them. Ulrich Muhe plays Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler, the Secret Police investigator who delves into their lives with sadistic intensity only to find himself transformed in the process.
An amazing portrayal of life under scrutiny and investigation by the State and how life becomes more of prison than an opportunity under the former Communist regime. A reminder of the blessings we often forget living in a democracy...the freedom to speak freely, worship freely, create freely and love without fear.
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