Florian Donnersmarck's The Lives Of Others

Florian Donnersmarck’s The Lives of Others follows Gerd Wiesler, a serving Stasi captain in 1984 Soviet-occupied East Berlin. Wielser is tasked with the surveillance of two artists, Christa-Maria Sieland and Georg Dreyman, who are under suspicion of plotting against the communist Soviet government. This film is primarily centred around Wiesler’s transformation from loyal, idealistic Stasi officer to disillusioned western sympathiser, as he discovers the true motives behind Operation Laslo. To achieve these ideological changes, Donnersmarck subtly contrasts the artists and the agent using techniques such as mise en scene, sound design and camera positioning.
Wielser is first introduced to the audience taking pleasure in the “inhuman” practise

Eventually, however, Wiesler cannot monitor Dreyman and Sieland without craving the warmth of human interaction and develops burgeoning doubts in his belief of the Stasi system, as evidenced by his solicitation of a prostitute and omission of a small boy’s anti-communist ramblings. When all of these actions fail to satisfy his growing liberality, Wiesler risks all and enters the apartment once again under false pretences. As he stalks the apartment in his permanent state of emotionlessness, the scene cuts abruptly and Donnersmarck reintroduces the audience to the same Stasi apartment with a completely different ambiance. The high angle close-up gives full view of the warm, natural light shining in, highlighting Wiesler’s relaxed facial expression, body language and bright blue eyes. The camera zooms outward until transitioning into a full mid-shot, pausing for the audience to observe the stolen Brecht book and listen to the non-diegetic voice-over of its poetic content. This brief scene is accompanied by the thought-provoking soundtrack by composer Gabriel Yared. This shift in the overall mise en scene of Wiesler’s apartment and the accompanying classical score provide insight into this character as his views regarding freedom of expression begin to align with those under