Florian’s World

T WO years ago, something extraordinary appeared: a movie called The Lives of Others, or, in its original German, Das Leben der Anderen. It was a great movie, a genuine artistic achievement. But it was also something even rarer: an honest, illu- minating depiction of life in a Communist police state. Those who know such states could scarcely believe their eyes; some had thought they would never see an honest depiction onscreen.

The film is about a dedicated Stasi man, which is to say, a mem- ber of the East German secret police. As he goes about his work, listening in on his targets, he has a revolution of conscience: and winds up being a lifesaver.

About the Author

Jay Nordlinger

Jay Nordlinger was a senior editor of National Review and a book fellow at National Review Institute.

T WO years ago, something extraordinary appeared: a movie called The Lives of Others, or, in its original German, Das Leben der Anderen. It was a great movie, a genuine artistic achievement. But it was also something even rarer: an honest, illu- minating depiction of life in a Communist police state. Those who know such states could scarcely believe their eyes; some had thought they would never see an honest depiction onscreen.

The film is about a dedicated Stasi man, which is to say, a mem- ber of the East German secret police. As he goes about his work, listening in on his targets, he has a revolution of conscience: and winds up being a lifesaver.