The Lives of Others/窃听风暴/Das Leben der Anderen

This story, though fictional, reveals the cruel reality of life in totalitarian regimes: people overseeing one another, few trust or warmth among one another. In the era full of struggles between tyranny and humanity, the senior agent's (the leading role) original beautiful humanity embedded deep inside has been waken up gradually (maybe due to being puzzled at his boss's words of "the Party's interests are the Party members' interests" or tempted by the lust of the couple), and he finally chooses to stand in opposition to the regime.

After more than two hours' quiet and attractive foreshadowing, the last line of the leading role, who has almost no obvious expressions since the start, makes the audience so touched to cry: "No, it's for me."

The movie, as same as "The Shawshank Redemption", is about how weak individuals fight against being institutionalized by Powers. Stories based on inner struggles create heartful-loving movies.

This movie won Oscar as the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year 2007.

本片虽纯属虚构，揭示的却是现实生活中极权政体下的残酷法则：人和人之间互相监视、信任和温暖匮乏。在那个专制与人性抗争的年代中，原来属于体制内的高级特工残存在内心深处的美好被一步步唤醒（疑惑于上司的“党的利益即党员的利益”论、诱惑于被监听者的情欲），最终站在了体制的对立面。

在经过两个多小时安静而引人入胜的铺垫后，几乎从始至终没有任何表情的男主角最后的台词让人唏嘘到落泪：“不用了，这是给我的。”

本片其实和《肖申克的救赎》非常相似，都是弱小的个体如何摆脱被强权体制化的故事。源于内心的抗争，才能创造出深入人心的故事。

本片获2007年奥斯卡最佳外语片。

Performance impression:
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Cast: Ulrich Mühe