The Lives of Others Page #2

You should choose your words more carefully.

Comrade Hempf, just between us:

My plays are not strong enough

to survive Schwalber's direction.

I need Jerska,

and I think you judged him too harshly.

Well, I don't.

But that's what we all love about your plays.

Your love for mankind...

your belief that people can change.

Dreyman,

no matter how often you say it in your plays,

people do not change!

How is he, by the way?

He hopes that his black- ...

that he can work again soon.

Is he right in hoping?

Of course he is.

As long as he lives, and even longer.

Because as you know, Dreyman,

hope always dies last.

The team will be ready

to wire the place as of tomorrow.

It needs to be finished by Thursday.

You should plan everything carefully.

Think you can do it?

Good night.

I'll get in trouble if I don't go.

- With who?

- My girlfriend.

Twenty minutes.

Yes?

Frau Meineke... One word of this to anyone,

and Masha loses her spot at the university.

Is that understood?

Yes.

Send Mrs. Meineke a gift for her cooperation.

It must be Thursday again.

Time passes so quickly...

Perhaps that's a good thing.

- How are you?

- Not bad.

It's not always this noisy.

Only on Thursdays, I know.

Yes.

We missed you at the premiere.

Did Schwalber do a good job?

His good bits were stolen from you.

That keeps my ideas alive.

Don't bear it.

I can't bear those fat, dressed-up people

at premieres anymore.

Doesn't sound like me, does it?

But maybe this is the real me,

not the old Jerska.

He was friendly and caring, nourished by success...

all thanks to the grace of the bigwigs.

But I won't complain much longer.

In my next life, I'll simply be an author.

A happy author

who can write whenever he wants.

Like you.

What is a director if he can't direct?

He's a projectionist without a film,

a miller without corn. He is nothing.

Nothing at all.

Albert, the Minister was at the premiere.

Minister Hempf.

I spoke to him about your blacklisting.

It looks promising.

He gave me hope, concrete hope. Literally.

Really?

That's great.

Cheap Georgian wine. Chateau Jerska.

So is our holy drinker coming?

I forgot to ask him.

You're strong and forceful.

That's how I need you.

Don't let this blackness into your life.

- Albert is my friend.

- And you're my boyfriend.

Looks like a 50th.

But I'm going to be 40, right?

Don't forget, you promised

to wear a tie for your birthday.

I would, but I don't have one.

Bon anniversaire!

Atie?

You said you didn't want any books.

Or can't you tie a tie,

you old working-class poet?

What?

I was born wearing a tie!

I had to "fight my way out

of my middle-class fetters".

Then put those fetters on again, just for me.

Alright... It's no

big deal to tie a tie.

Frau Meineke, would you come in for a moment!

Can you tie a tie?

You've no idea how thankful I am.

- Are you feeling unwell?

- No... I'm feeling fine.

Finished?

Wonderful. It's perfect.

It couldn't be better.

It'll be our secret.

You can keep a secret, right?

Of course.

I'll be damned! And I thought you couldn't do it.

You don't normally hide your talents.

You've no idea of the things I can do!

The first guest.

Our dear neighbors locked the main door again.

- Can you go?

- Yes, I'm going.

Maestro! Our humble offerings.

- I expressly said no books!

- But thanks.

Would you like a drink?

- A soda.

- Vodka for me.

I'll get it.

Why the hell's Albert sitting all alone?

He won't talk to us.

He sent us all away.

I brought you something too.

- Did you really come here to read?

- It is Brecht!

I feel like a fraud among these people.

A fraud?

Come off it, Albert!

You're losing your grip on reality.

You know how we admire you,

how everybody admires you.

For something I did 10 years ago...

and could probably never do again.

My favorite director! Wait!

I need to talk to you a moment.

Tell me again how you got into this position.

Pure talent.

Of course!

But what else did you have to do?

Everyone knows you're with the Stasi!

- What an outrageous insinuation!

- Don't forget it!

- Paul!

- What?

Excuse my friend, he's had too much to drink.

But you know he's with the Stasi!

No, Paul. I don't know that.

You're such an idealist

that you're almost a bigwig.

It was informers and conformists

like that who ruined Albert.

Spy, betrayer!

If you don't take a stand, you're not human!

If you ever want to take action, call.

If not, we don't have to meet again.

Your friends don't have much taste.

That's really unfair.

Here! Look at this beautiful backscratcher.

That's a salad fork!

Still, it's beautiful... And look at this.

I'll write my new play with this.

You have no taste either!

I do in some things.

- It's from Jerska.

- So he did give you a book!

"Sonata for a Good Man"

"'Lazlo' and CMS unwrap presents,

then presumably have intercourse."

You're late.

Sorry, Captain.

Those red lights made me

lose all of four minutes.

You know how it is.

They're already at it! Unbelievable! These artists!

They're always at it!

That's why I prefer monitoring artists

to priests or peace activists.

See you tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Albert Jerska, operation 'Engerling'.

Systematic as usual, Wiesler.

The files will be sent. Let's have lunch.

The BSG Volleyball team will meet at 7 p.m.

Did you forget? Bosses sit over there.

Socialism must start somewhere.

About the license plate of the car

that brought Ms. Sieland home...

It's Minister Hempf's car.

Wiesler,

we can't monitor top officials.

I removed the entry in your report.

Nothing written from now on,

just oral!

So we're helping a Committee member

get a rival out of the way.

You know what this could mean

for my career. And for yours.

If we find something...

Is that why we joined?

You remember the oath we took?

"We are the Party's shield and sword."

What is the Party, if not its members?

And if those members

are highly influential, all the better!

I've got a new one.

Honecker comes into his office,

opens the window, sees the sun, and says...

What's wrong?

Oh, excuse me... I just...

No, carry on, colleague!

No harm in laughing about

the Party Chairman, is there.

I probably know the joke anyway.

Come on, tell us!

Well... Honecker...

I mean, the Comrade General Secretary

sees the sun and says,

- "Good morning, dear sun!"

- More like, "Good morning, dear sun!"

The sun replies, "Good morning, dear Erich!"

And at noon, Erich goes to the window and says,

"Good day, dear sun!"

The sun replies, "Good day, dear Erich!"

In the evening, Erich says again,

"Good evening, dear sun!"

and the sun doesn't reply.

"Good evening, dear sun..."

"What's wrong?" he asks.

And the sun replies,

"Screw you, I'm in the West now!"

Name?

Rank? Department?

Me?

Stigler.

I don't have to tell you

what this means for your career.

Please, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel,

I was just...

You were just deriding the Party!

That's incitement,

and likely just the tip of the iceberg!

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