Classics: A Review of The Lives of Others By Lauren Ennis

Over the course of several months we have been separated from one another physically, emotionally, and ideologically, all with the promise that by doing so we are ensuring that we will ultimately be reunited. Even as we continue to be isolated from one another, however, government has become all too present in our lives. Few can appreciate the current paradox created by the restrictions of social distancing, the censorship of big tech companies, and the normalization of Marxism as fully as those who experienced life behind the Iron Curtain. The 2006 political drama The Lives of Others offers a devastating reflection upon the oppression of the German Democratic Republic and a dire warning for the future.

I always feel like somebody's watching me...

The story begins in 1984 East Berlin as Stasi officer Gerd Weisler teaches recruits how to interrogate a suspect. After finishing his lesson he is approached by a colleague with an assignment to collect information on playwright Georg Dreyman. The assignment intrigues Weisel, who is excited by the challenge of spying on a famous and seemingly incorruptible subject. As his work carries on, however, Weisel's once iron-clad faith in the GDR is shattered when he learns that the assignment is really a means with which prominent party member Minister Hempf (Thomas Thieme) hopes to eliminate Dreyman in order to pursue Dreyman's actress lover, Christa-Maria Seiland (Martina Gedeck). With each new revelation of the true nature of the Stasi's surveillance, Weisel becomes convinced that the only way to maintain the ideals he has devoted his life to is to sabotage the efforts of the very establishment that he once believed personified them.

In the months since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic citizens around the globe have been subjected to government imposed isolation, censorship, and restrictions that would be all too familiar to the film's characters. As the threat of the virus begins to fade with the distribution of vaccines a new threat has emerged in the US which has led to even greater calls for government intervention; public dissent. In the wake of the disputed 2020 US election and Capitol Hill riot big tech and mainstream media have begun a campaign to designate those who question either the election or the actions of the incoming administration as domestic terror threats. Even in the midst of pleas for national unity the call has arisen for 'citizen detectives' to monitor and report upon their fellow citizens just as the citizens of the GDR were forced to report on their friends and neighbors. In an even more troubling development government officials have expressed their plans to utilize law enforcement and national security agencies in their efforts to quell dissent in a modern day replication of the Stasi. Such measures may foster fear, paranoia, and conformity, but are destined to inspire only further division. The film showcases the ways in which the Stasi's surveillance was all too often abused for personal gain and weaponized against even the most loyal of citizens. Should this administration follow the repressive example of the GDR similar abuses are certain to follow, just as they did under the NSA's global surveillance program. At one point in the film Weisel notes, "socialism has to start somewhere"; it is our duty as as Americans to ensure that it does not start here and now.

You can't write this stuff

The superb work of the film's cast transports viewers into the the bleak heart of the Soviet bloc. Ulrich Muhe is truly dynamic in his turn as Gerd Weisel, as he allows the audience to witness his character's transformation from dedicated tool of the state to jaded subversive. Sebastian Koch portrays conflicted playwright Georg Dreyman with a humor, intelligence, and idealism that makes his plight all the more resonant. Martina Gedeck expertly rounds out the central cast in her haunting performance as tormented actress Christa-Maria Seiland. Ulrich Tukur and Thomas Thieme lend excellent support as Weisel's Stasi colleague, Grubitz, and ruthless Minister Hempf, and infuse their performances with an ideal balance of entitlement, sleaze, and menace.

This historical drama has become more relevant with each passing year as our present increasingly mirrors one of the most harrowing eras of the recent past. The intelligent script and nuanced performances brilliantly relate a wrenching tale of duty, love, betrayal, and sacrifice that is as powerful today as it would have been in the midst of the Cold War. For a glimpse into a 1984 that is even more chilling than anything George Orwell could write, look no further than The Lives of Others.

Every breath you take, every move you make, we'll be watching you

Classics: A Review of V for Vendetta By Lauren Ennis

The year is 2020, the United States stands at the brink of a second civil war and a mysterious virus is ravaging Europe. Under the guise of controlling the pandemic and quelling domestic terrorism western nations designate themselves police states, ushering in a totalitarian era. This straight from the headlines scenario is the premise for the 2005 political action thriller V for Vendetta. Through its exploration of modern tyranny the film aptly predicts the all too real crises of 2020 and warns against the dark path that the events of this past year have set us upon.

The story begins with a masked vigilante known only as V rescuing state television employee Evey from the secret police. After she witnesses his attack upon the Criminal Court of England and Wales he takes her to his hideaway where he demands that she remain for one year. While pretending to aid in another of his attacks she escapes to the home of her colleague, Gordon, and is stunned to learn that he shares V's anti-government views and secretly engages in subversive activities. After learning of Evey's experiences with V, Gordon becomes determined to take a stand and satirizes the government on his television program. The broadcast inspires viewers, but ultimately leads to a police raid on Gordon's home during which Evey is arrested. After suffering numerous tortures she is ultimately released and emerges stronger, wiser, and determined to aid V in his crusade at any cost.

Over the course of the past year the world has found itself at a dangerous juncture. Much like the film's infamous 'St. Mary's Virus' the Covid-19 virus has become a global pandemic in the months since it was first reported in Wuhan, China in late 2019. The ways in which the virus is used as a pretext for the blatant violation of citizens' civil liberties in the film eerily mirrors the devastating impact of draconian lockdowns that have been imposed by governments across the globe. While numerous studies indicate that lockdown orders and mask mandates have failed to slow the spread of the virus, governments around the world have reimplemented and increased the severity of these same orders and mandates in recent weeks. Rather than fulfilling their supposed goal of saving lives, these measures have instead shattered lives by devastating citizens' economic, educational, mental, and physical well-being. Even as celebrities continue to echo that 'we're all in this together' citizens are encouraged to mirror the characters in the film by shaming and even acting as informants against one another all in the name of 'public safety'.  

One of the most chilling aspects of the film is the way in which information warfare is used to oppress the population. Throughout the film, state media promotes the narrative that the St. Mary's Virus was released by a terrorist organization, while in reality the virus was actually released from a state lab as part of an experiment in biological warfare. In this way, state media ensures that citizens will continue to trust the very government that poisoned them, all while remaining suspicious of each other. In a striking similarity the mainstream media and big tech platforms including Facebook, Amazon, and Twitter have come under fire for censoring or manipulating facts to form deceptive and often harmful narratives. State efforts to enforce lockdown measures created an ideal opportunity for these entities to justify their continued censorship efforts under the guise of 'preventing the spread of misinformation' related to the pandemic. Much like in the film these measures actually served to spread false information, particularly propaganda surrounding the responses of the WHO and Chinese Communist Party's responses to the virus.

Throughout the film those who dare to voice dissenting opinions are designated as terrorists. This act of manipulation serves the dual purpose of justifying the government's creation of a police state and ensuring that citizens remain in a perpetual state of government dependence and fear. Over the course of several months American and European cities descended into violent protests, the majority of which the mainstream media and big tech platforms by turns ignored, condoned, or actively encouraged in the name of 'social justice'. In the wake of the violent protest in Washington D.C. last week, however, these same entities have made an abrupt shift in their coverage policies by not merely condemning the violence, (as any legitimate outlet should do) but also extending their condemnation to any who hold conservative views, regardless of whether they were even present at the capitol. In keeping with this media narrative big tech platforms have begun a mass censorship campaign in which private citizens' social media accounts are surveilled and censored and free speech platforms are removed from the internet. In a chilling development the media has now begun to follow the film's example by designating those who dare question the accepted narrative regarding the 2020 election or the pandemic as potential terror threats. Much like in the wake of 9/11 this media narrative has given rise to a public demand for mass surveillance in a second incarnation of the Patriot Act. In a matter of mere months V for Vendetta's fictional dystopia has gone from cinema fantasy to a rapidly approaching reality.

The film is brought to explosive life thanks to the work of its cast. Stephen Rea infuses his performance as honest cop  Inspector Finch with an ideal balance between world weariness and decency. John Hurt portrays High Chancellor Adam Sutler with a cruelty and calculation that rivals history's most notorious dictators. Stephen Frey portrays Gordon with warmth and charm and aptly depicts Gordon's inner conflict as he produces propaganda for a regime that he secretly despises. Natalie Portman turns in one of the most multi-faceted, nuanced, and believable performances of her career as Evey. Even as he remains hidden behind his mask Hugo Weaving dominates the film in his magnetic turn as the mysterious V. 

Released in 2005 as a futuristic thriller V for Vendetta predicted the crises of 2020 with unnerving accuracy and offers a dire warning for the future as we enter 2021. Through its intelligent script and engrossing performances the film relates a tale of tyranny and liberation that raises vital questions surrounding politics, media, and the cost of freedom. As we stand at the brink of an era of censorship, suppression, and surveillance V for Vendetta proves to be vital viewing. Join the revolution with Evey and V in V for Vendetta...if the censors still let you.

Classics: A Review of Lust, Caution By Lauren Ennis

President John F. Kennedy famously said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country". In the 2007 espionage thriller Lust, Caution one woman asks what she can do for her country, but soon finds herself wondering how much she is willing to do for her country and at what cost. The film elevates itself beyond typical Hollywood spyjinks by shedding light upon the inner workings of the shadowy world of espionage and the relentless toll of war, even upon those who wage it in secret. Tempting, thrilling, and ultimately thought provoking Lust, Caution more than fulfills its mission.

Lie back and think of China...

                                            

The story begins in 1938 as inexperienced student Chia Chi Wong travels from occupied Shanghai to Hong Kong. She soon falls in with a group of politically active students and joins in their efforts to produce plays to promote the war effort in mainland China. As the war continues, the students become determined to participate in the war effort and decide to utilize their acting skills as spies. Alluring Chia Chi is recruited to seduce notorious collaborator Mr. Yee as part of an assassination plot. While she succeeds in drawing Yee's attention, the plot ultimately fails after Yee and his wife abruptly move to Shanghai and the students are forced into hiding after a fatal struggle with a Japanese agent. Four years later Chia Chi crosses paths with a former classmate who is now working as an intelligence agent for the Kuomintang and is recruited in another plot against Yee. She then reacquaints herself with Yee and the two embark upon a passionate and tumultuous affair. As the assignment continues she finds herself torn between her patriotic duty and her conflicted personal feelings. When final plans for the assassination are put in place she is forced to make an impossible choice between the country she loves and the enemy she has fallen in love with.

Through its nuanced portrayal of its conflicted heroine Lust, Caution raises vital questions surrounding the complex relationships between patriotic duty and personal freedom as well as the relationship between its central couple. Chia Chi begins the film as a passionate idealist, willing to do anything to secure her people's freedom. As the story progresses, however, she finds herself sacrificing her personal liberty and identity in an attempt to secure that of her country. When her assignment begins taking a psychological toll she turns to her fellow resistance fighters for support, only to realize that even amongst her own comrades she has been relegated to nothing more than a political instrument. As a result, she finds herself drawn to Yee who has similarly subjugated his personal will to that of the occupying Japanese regime. Ironically, it is only in each other's company that these political adversaries are free to openly voice their true thoughts and explore their personal desires. Through its portrayal of the couple's tumultuous relationship the film questions the value of political freedom that comes at the cost of personal liberty. Additionally, the film's depiction of the callous treatment of Chia Chi by her comrades offers a subtle, but damning, critique of any nation that reduces its citizens to political tools and collateral damage. In this way, the film uses its historical drama to offer a scathing critique of the repression that continues to dominate modern China.

Move over Mata Hari!

While the film's tale of seduction and spies seems relegated to a bygone era, the exploits of Chia Chi could actually be taken straight from today's headlines. In recent months it has been discovered that the Chinese Communist Party has spent decades utilizing a variety of intelligence tactics to influence its Western adversaries. The daunting extent of this infiltration was documented in a recent cyber leak released by Australia's Sky News. This leak lists Chinese Communist Party members who are currently in places of prominence in the most elite levels of Western technological, political, and academic institutions. In an instance of life imitating art a report has also been released by Axios detailing the work of CCP agent Fang Fang aka Christine Fang. Fang reportedly seduced numerous American politicians including congressman and House Intelligence Committee member Eric Swallwell as part of the regime's Blue Gold Yellow strategy. In light of these revelations the film's lurid tale seems not only entirely plausible, but also eerily prescient. Through its depiction of the unlikely rise and inevitable fall of its spy the film makes for compelling historical drama while also highlighting the all too present threat that oppressive regimes like the CCP pose to both foreign nations and their own citizens who they continues to utilize as political pawns. 

The film weaves a tantalizing web of intrigue and betrayal thanks to the work of its cast. Joan Chen personifies elegance as Yee's society maven wife. Wang Leehom aptly portrays resistance leader Kuang Yu Min's evolution from compassionate idealist to world weary and desensitized agent. Tang Wei brilliantly brings Chia Chi Wong to life in a performance that deftly interweaves vulnerability, courage, sensuality, innocence, and intelligence with heartbreaking realism. Tony Leung is magnetic in his turn as the equal parts cruel and charming anti-hero Mr. Yee, in a performance that is certain to leave viewers as conflicted as Chia Chi. Together the pair exude a chemistry that is nothing short of smoldering as they transport viewers into the heart of war-time espionage.

Lust, Caution is a cautionary tale for our times. The film utilizes its compelling script and captivating performances to highlight the personal devastation that political turmoil leaves in its wake. Through its portrait of the spy as a young woman the film raises questions about duty, patriotism, and sacrifice that continue to resonate today. Follow Chia Chi for a suspenseful and sensual glimpse into the world of espionage in Lust, Caution.

What, me spy?