Sound is an extremely important component to Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's 2006 film, The Lives of Others. We learn crucial plot points through sound. The musical score gives clues and guides the viewer. Sound even becomes a major theme around which the story hinges.
Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is doing surveillance for East Germany's secret police, and spends his life
listening. He moves his gear in above writer Georg Dreyman's (Sebastian Koch) apartment in order to find out if he has any ties to West Germany. He pieces together the story of Dreyman's life through what he hears hidden microphones and phone taps. Dreyman believes that he and his friends have a freedom to speak in his apartment, but their voices betray them through Wiesler's eavesdropping.
Music also plays a large role in the film. The title of a musical piece "Sonata of a Good Man" later becomes the name of a book Dreyman writes. The music lifts the spirts of Dreyman, and even Wiesler through the wires. Dreyman quotes Lenin in regards to music as saying if he listened to music he would not be able to finish the revolution. Art, whether it be drama, literature, or music can change people. Things that are inherently good inside people are brought out by art.
The 'Stasi' big brother tactics rely on recording of sound to serve as incriminating evidence. Along with Wiesler, we learn things about about Dreyman and his wife, Christa-Maria Sieland through their voices. Donnersmarck does give the audience the privledge of seeing as well as hearing much of the time, but the aspect of the importance of sound is never down-played.
02 February 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment