MOVIE SMACKDOWN: The Lives of Others (2007) -vs- The Conversation (1974)
The Smackdown. Listening in on other people's private conversations and how that affects the listener as much as the people who are being spied upon -- that's what both these films share in common. In the movie-world we live in now, populated by sequels and slasher films, both of these thoughtful explorations have so much going on inside the character's heads that your own mind may explode just thinking about them. This is a good thing, and it's going to be hard to declare a winner, but here we go...
"If I can hold on to a copy of these tapes for a couple of decades, man, this is going to make one scorchingly wunderbar podcast!"
"Next assignment, I'm definitely bringing a pillow."
The Scorecard. There's no question that these are both great films. If you're thinking, though, that "The Lives of Others" won't be easy to watch because it's in German, don't let that affect you. Ten minutes into it, and you won't even notice. It sucks you in completely. "The Conversation", however, has almost been undermined by the fame that some of its actors have achieved, making it feel less real. "Lives" makes me feel like I am eavesdropping on the lives of these characters as much as HGW XX/7, the Stasi agent.
The Decision. "The Conversation", shot in its own time, now feels a little dated, even though its theme is timeless and, you could argue, as important as ever. But "The Lives of Others" re-creates the police state perfectly in every way you could imagine. It is not flawless, but it is very nearly so. This one goes to our friends overseas in Germany because they have made a movie about their country that is a cautionary tale for all of us.

Wow -- this movie better be great for it to rank higher than The Conversation! Thanks for the recommendation.
PS, I don't often comment but I always enjoy your blog. Thanks for writing it!
Posted by: YZ | February 21, 2007 at 07:39 PM