The Lives of Others - (Das Leben der Anderen)

This study offers a fresh approach to the remarkable German film The Lives of Others (2006), known for its compelling representation of a Stasi surveillance officer and the moral and ethical turmoil that results when he begins spying on a playwright and his actress lover.Annie Ring analyses the film''s cinematography, mise-en-sc- and editing, tracing connections with Hollywood movies such as Casablanca and Hitchcock-s Torn Curtain in the film''s portrayal of an individual rebelling against a brutal dehumanising regime. Drawing on archival sources, including primary research from the Stasi files themselves, as well as Enlightenment philosophies of art and Brecht-s theories on theatre dating from his GDR years, she explores the film''s strong but much-disputed claims to historical authenticity. She examines the way the film tracks the world-changing political shift that took place at the end of the Cold War - away from the collective dreams of socialism and towards t