“The Lives of Others” is better than I expected

The Lives of Others is one of the most compelling, intriguing and eye-opening films I’ve seen in years — and sadly, it’s relevant too. I can’t add much to the linked review, so here are some quotes: “The Lives of Others is an excellent German film about life in the East German GDR before the fall of the Berlin Wall, when the population lived in constant fear of the secret police known as the Stasi. Writer-director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck‘s story of artists under surveillance by merciless, corrupt officials is gripping from beginning to end… [We learn] something about the arrogance, corruption and twisted psychology that result when “security” bureaucracies are given special powers.”