The Lives Of Others (eng-subs) - 2 - Exposing Moral

[MastrEcko]

Name? Rank, Department? Haha, brilliant!

[Ekatjam]

what makes this a brilliant scene is that even if you do not understand German, the wide range of expressions allows you to feel the pain, fear and the humor of the actors.

[waveali]

Great scene ... Name? lmao

[MrTommypops]

one of my favourite movies!!!!!!!!!!!

[zackhanscom]

a little detail at the end, the disgraced wiesler is relegated to the mail room, and the student from this scene is there as well. presumably, grubitz did report him afterall.

[rudolfvonlvasquez]

One of the best part in Lives of Others.

[SulfurCitizen]

Thus is the Tyranny of the Stasi, KGB, NKVD etc

Everything was ambigious until too late. Its this ambiguity that was the best control, if you dont know where you stand, how can you revolt against it? Who knows if he was serious..

[Wattywatasaurus]

I think that Grubitz WAS joking at that guy, because he very briefly raised his eyebrows at Wiesler before breaking out in laughter. The disapproving look Wiesler gave him was probably because he knew that Grubitz was abusing his rank to make the man squirm. Perhaps Grubitz decided to report the man later on, however.

[milovy]

Wow, watching this again I just realized what a weenie Grubitz is! He didn't start laughing (and acting like he was kidding) until he looked to Wiesler for his reaction and Wiesler didn't seem to approve.

[larsiemannen]

@milovy yes. like a sadist wanting to watch pain, but to smart to be brute - this is pure political sadisism.

[marinersfanfromny]

This scene is brilliant.

[hillie19]

do you have the letter opening scene???

[DanielBaird]

I like your little analysis in the video description, I think you got it spot on. You fail to mention though that later on in the movie, year later, we see the same worker working with Grubitz in the letter opening department. This makes us assume that Grubitz reported him anyway. So Grubitz is a massive hypocrite, he made jokes at expense of the party, yet he destroyed a mans life for that exact reason. Great characterisation.

[BjornIronsidesII]

Untrue. Department 'M' (mail opener) is where the man works before Wiesler's promotion ban. From this time to the time of Wiesler's demotion, the man has not transferred to a different department nor has he recieved a promotion. While there is a possibility that Grubitz may have reported him and effectively prevented him from receiving future promotions, he may have simply remained in Department M because he did not have the skills and education to become a real Stasi.

[DanielBaird]

Grubitz tells him his career is over - later on in the movie he's still in the same department years later. How are we meant to assume anything other than Grubitz reported him? Why else would the writer have created that link? It was written in for a reason...

[Bachwurz]

DanielBaird youre false.

I cant write what i think because i dont speak english this well

[Ekatjam]

For what it is worth, The DDR invented a machine ( the 10/10 )that could open letters as well as the 3/81 which could close after being read. the days of holding a letter over steam were antiquedated

[milovy]

I got the distinct impression that we were meant to say "Hey! it's that guy from the joke scene!" and that he either was demoted or failed to advance from Department M - someone on their way up would not be working in Dept. M "four years and seven months later" unless they were being kept there, or unless they were kicked downstairs.

This is a very tight screenplay and even the minor characters, we're meant to notice and make connections to.

[pestbeule0815]

(1)@milovy Hi,i think youre false

I think the film will say that in the MfS a lot of intelligent people worked who where'nt thinking about what an evil job thei're been doing.Axel Stiegler didn't work at the MfS to create his career he only wants to have a job where he is lucky.He does'nt care much about what hes doing.

[NaturVita]

I'm glad I bought this film, one of the best I've seen, although very different, reminds me of "La Historia Oficial" aka ''the Oficial Story' from Argentina.

[VictorLepanto]

You can almost hear the wheels turning in Wiesler's head. Is he only now realizing the nature of the regime he is protecting. Personally, I don't think any Stasi officer could have been so naive. I don't think the communist propaganda was about persuading anyone of anything. It was about brutalizing someone into humiliated submission.

[Ekatjam]

It's a German thing. My father is from there and your honour is based on obediance and obediance means following orders without hesitations or questions

[VictorLepanto]

Hmmm.

I've seen Nazi era propaganda films encouraging children to defy their parents, in favor of Nazi ideals of course. Much like Mao & his cultural revolution where he encouraged children & to defy parents & teachers, etc.; again in favor his party line. The German army in WWII was famous for encouraging individual battlefield initiative in its people. In a way, the Wehrmacht soldier was expected to act on his own more then the Western allies.

The herd of individualists is a big illusion.

[Ekatjam]

Hitler said , "forget the old give me the youth and see what I can do". In regards to the Military, initiative was encouraged, but only if that initiative was successful in obtaining the desired results. I Don't give a damn how you capture that bridge, your order "IS" capture the damn thing. In the DDR It was a society where its people never knew democracy since 1933, the era of Hitler was replaced by an even more strict regime that questioning authority was forbidding. Over time it sets in.

[VictorLepanto]

As for the German military using what I've heard refered to as "mission orders," I understood this to be rooted in tactical knowledge gained in WWI. It was not a Nazi policy. A general, I forget his name now, noticed how difficult it is to convey orders under combat conditions. The commander doesn't have a real time knowleddge developements. The reports are often very confusing & conveying orders that can understood is difficult. You train your troops to go indepently in small groups.

[Drac39]

One of the best films of the decade and surely Germany's finest import in years

[kotangens]

Export perhaps? :-)

[Drac39]

hehe

[Harnolb]

Well acted by the young man playing Stiegler.

[milovy]

Yes! One of the little moving moments of the movie was seeing this young man again at the very end, telling the news that the Wall had fallen.

[whycantihavespaces]

I love how Stiegler shows up at the end, steam opening letters . Either Grubitz was joking about joking or one of his colleagues ratted him out. Or he just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

[Harnolb]

Grubitz is an opportunist.

[munkisbeprotis]

Name?

[mortenolsen2]

Sowie in Stromberg als dieser Erika wegen Klau von Drucker-Toners feuern will. Wer hat hier von wem geklaut?

[Alankanjo]

Amazing movie. Brilliant Ulrich Muhe... brilliant.

[Harnolb]

R.I.P., Herr Muehe.

[bobbygnosis]

Dude, that shit was awesome.

[PhoenixZappa]

Dude, where's my car. Awesome. Radically gnarly