The 2006 German film The Lives of Others takes place in 1984, five years before the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the fictional tale, a loyal East German secret police agent, Captain Wiesler, abandons his allegiance to the communist government. The reason for his action is the realization that one of his superiors is corrupt. As the well-scripted narrative unfolds, Wiesler's metamorphosis appears logical. But how plausible is it today for partisans to reject their ideology because of their leaders' indecency?
Ulrich Muhe as Captain Wiesler in The Lives of Others
In the current polarized political environment, opposing sides attack their adversaries in every conceivable way. Aside from demonizing their policies, combatants assault their rivals' leaders. Not only is a politician's competence brought into question, but a leader's ethics are also scrutinized. However, as morally challenged individuals find their way into positions of power, one has to wonder what role personal behavior plays in determining political success. This question was brought to national attention in 2017. The conflict between ethics and partisanship was on full display during the United States Senate special election in Alabama.
Alabama is a deep red state. In 2014, the Republican Jeff Sessions ran for a fourth term for the U.S. Senate. Not surprisingly, the Democrats did not even field an official candidate, and Sessions received more than 97% of the votes. In 2016, Donald Trump convincingly defeated Hilary Clinton by 28 percentage points (62% to 34%). Subsequently, Trump rewarded Sessions, one of his early supporters, with the position of Attorney General. To fill Sessions' vacancy, Alabama held a special election in 2017. Then all hell broke loose.
The race was between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones. During the campaign, multiple women alleged Moore of sexual misconduct and sexual assault. The accusers were teenagers at the time of the incidents, the youngest being 14 years old, while Moore was in his 30's. Moore admitted that he knew some of the women but denied any misconduct. He also noted that the age of consent in Alabama is 16.
Roy Moore (nbcnews.com)
Jones defeated Moore in a close election (50.0% to 48.3%), suggesting that some of the electorate were swayed by the allegations. One can imagine that many who voted for Moore didn't believe the stories. Or perhaps, thought the accusations were true but still felt that any Republican would be a better Senator than Jones. But which voters changed their allegiance from the Republican Party? Were they die-hard partisans who refused to support an alleged child molester? Or were they moderate Republicans leaning momentarily across the fence?
It's not difficult to imagine that staunch partisans would either deny or excuse their candidate's actions. But how egregious does a politician need to act before an ardent supporter changes party affiliation? Is it possible that a candidate can "stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody" and not lose voters?
The Lives of Others explores circumstances that can affect one's loyalty to a government. The story takes place in East Berlin during the Cold War. The historical fiction follows Captain Wiesler, an agent of the Stasi, the official State Security Service for communist East Germany. He refuses to implicate the playwright Georg Dreyman in anti-government activity after learning that his superior (Minister Hempf), who ordered the investigation, is corrupt. Hempf is romantically interested in Dreyman's girlfriend and wants to eliminate his rival.
The opening scene of the movie paints Wiesler as a one-dimensional government loyalist. He teaches a class of future secret police agents and demonstrates ardent seriousness to the Communist Party's mission. It seems implausible that a single act of corruption by Hempf would test his political ideology. Similarly, it's hard to imagine that Roy Moore's alleged indiscretion would result in staunch Republicans changing their views on gun control, for instance. But Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, who wrote and directed the film, reveals other facets of Wiesler's existence that explain his transformation.
Von Donnersmarck shows that Wiesler leads a pathetic lonely life. Adhering to Communist ideals has provided him with the basic necessities but without happiness. Meanwhile, his superiors thrive through corruption. Furthermore, Wiesler learns about "the lives of others" when he spies on Dreyman. He observes individuals whose democratic ideals appear to bring more meaning to their lives. Wiesler's misery, contrasted with Dreyman's life, sets the stage for his metamorphosis. He abandons his political ideology and does what he feels is right.
Perhaps misery is required before party conversion. As the Alabama Senate election suggests, a political leader's alleged unethical behavior did not result in a mass exodus of ardent supporters. Maybe, much of the Alabama Republican electorate is not miserable enough. And "the lives of others," namely Democrats, are not appealing to them.
Berlin was split after World War II into democratic West Berlin and communist East Berlin. But there was no physical barrier. Thus, hundreds of thousands of East Germans defected to the West in the 1950s, but many still remained. Before the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, East Germans freely crossed the border to work in the West. But after the Wall went up and the West's influence disappeared, many of the remaining East Germans realized how miserable their lives had become. Subsequently, thousands abandoned the communist party and risked their lives to escape to the West.
“Death strip” section of the Berlin Wall in 1977 (wikipedia.org)
Although not as dramatic as the Berlin Wall construction, drastic life changes have altered the political landscape in the U.S, but not by much. After the 2008 Financial Crisis, Democrats regained the presidency with Barack Obama. But it was far from a landslide. With the pandemic killing more than 300,000 people and millions losing their jobs, Joe Biden took back the White House from the Republicans in 2020. However, the vast majority of partisan Republicans still supported their candidate. Apparently, there weren't enough Wieslers in the American electorate (or enough misery) to result in party loyalists' mass defections.
The 2020 Alabama Senate election was more typical than the 2017 special election. There were no sex scandals as Doug Jones ran against a different Republican nominee, Tommy Tuberville. Before seeking his first elected office, Tuberville was a football coach for 40 years. During the campaign, he credited his father for fighting in World War II "to free Europe of socialism." He also stated that the three branches of the U.S. federal government were "the House, the Senate, and the executive." Needless to say, life was restored to normalcy in Alabama, and Tuberville beat Jones handily, receiving 60.4% of the vote. Although a lack of moral conviction may not sway many partisans, at least it is more toxic to politicians than inexperience or ignorance.
The Lives of Others is an entertaining film. Excellent acting carries its suspenseful plot to an interesting conclusion. Furthermore, much can be learned about the lives of Berliners during the Cold War. It was also refreshing to watch someone defy his political allegiance and jeopardize his career just to do the right thing.
Andrew’s Grade: B
Comments