The Lives of Others (2006): A-

Director(s): Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Screenplay: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Cast: Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uwe Bauer, Volkmar Kleinert, Matthias Brenner, Thomas Arnold, Ludwig Blochberger, Werner Daehn, Marie Gruber and Udo Hübner. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics. Runtime: 137 min. Rating: R.

It's rare that first films from a first director get my full support, but The Lives of Others is really something special, both beautifully portrayed and written. It's also clear, of course, that Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck has skill; even though it's only his first film, some of the content of the film is so remarkable that it immediately brings to mind a feel of veteran mastery.

The film takes place in East Germany, 1984. There are two good men, but they are never shown on the same frame together. One, Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch), a successful playwright; the other, Capt. Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe, who gives of what is the best supporting performance in recent memory), the Stasi officer who spies on him. Georg, tall and intelligent, leads something of a charmed life, enjoying a measure of official favor without losing the respect of his fellow artists, who are not all as lucky, or as circumspect, as he is. Capt. Wiesler, a first-appearing evil teacher of law at the local university, is handed down the case of 'Operation Lazlo'. With the excellent score playing in the background, one immediately sees the apartment bugged cameras on the first floor and the Capt.’s memorable face as he listens in. It is pale; his features are bland -- not too sharp, not at all soft, except for his steel blue eyes.

Critics have already been diminishing the film, claiming that it is flat as a character study. In some ways, they are right, though I suspect that some critics are simply not buying what it's selling (there is a study cached among its excellent tone, its final shot evoking this). Yet The Lives of Others is truly something special and rare, disturbingly accurate and really quite extraordinary. In the end, however, it proves to the viewer not only keen filmmaking skill, but rather the ability of mankind to change upon its surroundings. It's rare that a beginning film reach out to me the way this one did, but The Lives of Others is a most exciting film.