(because I accidently skipped it last week)
Directed by: Florian Henckle von Donnersmarck
Starring: Ulrich Muhe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck
Rated:R for some sexuality/nudity
The saddest part of communism’s attempt in the west was to eradicate beauty and humanity from its people. Yet, in the midst of their schemes and attempts, man can not separate himself from the fact that he is made in God’s image. While the German film The Lives of Others may not be that explicit with such a spiritual connection, the story’s message is none the less true. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2006, so the quality is obviously splendid. But the suspenseful, dramatic, heart-wrenching story of how a secret policeman learns about humanity and freedom through monitoring a democratic playwright is more than astonishing and inspiring: it’s simply a great film. While the sexual content of the film may be too much for some (and too much for me to fully recommend to anyone), The Lives of Others is one of the few stories that shows what self-sacrificing love for humanity looks like.
*This is also one of Marvin Olasky’s favorite movies. Here’s his review of it in World Magazine.
Directed by: Peter Weir
Starring: Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke
Rated:PG (although closer to PG-13 for disturbing images and nudity)
Let's be frank, The Dead Poets Society is dangerous. It’s a lovely film, filled with some of the finest drama and direction a movie in the 1980s can find, but it’s still dangerous. I don’t say that because the teens and their “captain” rebel against oppressive authorities or because their passions lead them to questionable causes. I say it because the entire premise of the film is glorified propaganda for existentialism: the idea that we are mere “food for worms” as Mr. Keating puts it, so let’s find the things in each of us that “make life worth living.” While the philosophy ignites their passions, personalities, and enjoyment of life, the hardships and tragedy which result from this belief (which I won’t spoil here) communicate it’s own self-defeating message: that this life isn’t about you. And, while there is a lot in Dead Poets Society that is also good (such as their view of art) and even inspiring (to follow one's calling), those desires are portrayed, in a positive way, vastly out of perspective. Where are you leading them, oh captain, my captain?
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