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Colleen Mansfield

The Lives of Others

In the movie The Lives of Others, unconditional love appears in a rather unexpected place.

At the beginning of the film, Comrade Wiesler appears to be an emotionless, hardened man. He

exhibits nothing but loyalty to his country and suspicion for everyone else who does not conduct

themselves in a similar manner. He is presented in stark contrast to another main character, Georg

Dreyman, who is likeable immediately, as an intellectual and an artist who plays by the rules but

appears to have a slight revolutionary bent. Dreyman is love and warmth where Wiesler is cold and

empty. With a sinking feeling, it becomes apparent that Dreyman is to be the newest target of

surveillance by the GDR, and it is to be conducted by Wiesler.

It is not immediately apparent that unconditional love is to make an appearance in the film.

Dreyman is in a relationship with a woman, Christa, who allows herself to be used by Minister Hempf

in exchange for his protection and continued job security. Minister Hempf does not love Christa,

because he uses her in the most base of ways. Christa certainly does not exhibit unconditional love,

because she does not love herself. This can be clearly seen in the way she lets herself be used by

Hempf. Individuals with strong self-esteem and self-respect do not allow themselves to be treated so

poorly, as they realize their own worth. Therefore, because Christa is unable to love herself, she is

unable to love Dreyman unconditionally.

Georg Dreyman is a good candidate for the exhibition of unconditional love, as he loves

Christa despite her flaws. He sees Christa as she is: imperfect, weak, and lacking confidence. He loves

her anyway. Even when he sees her exiting the Ministers vehicle, instead of immediately jumping

into action and lambasting her for obvious infidelity, he keeps himself in check and comforts her

later. However, when it comes down to the hidden typewriter at the end, he is not as staunch in his

love. He believes that Christa has betrayed him through revealing the typewriters location, and his

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emotional tumult is obvious. He does not exhibit unconditional love, because his love falters when

he learns he has been betrayed. While this is understandable, and understandably human, it does

not fit the bill of truly unconditional love.

In the end, it is Wiesler who shows unconditional love the most clearly. He knowingly and

willingly puts his career on the line in order to try and protect Georg and Christa. It is the most free

of gifts, as he does not expect anything in return. In fact, he remains anonymous to the couple;

Georg does not know he exists, let alone has been keeping close tabs on them. He sees value in both

Georg and Christa and has grown to enjoy their lives, passions, and talents. Finally, his love is

unconditional. Spying on the couple enables Wiesler to see both their ups and their downs. He sees

them happy and loving, he sees them sad and vulnerable, he sees them angry and fighting, and yet

he still goes to great lengths to save them from Grubnitzs ill will. The unconditional, self-sacrificing

love Wiesler holds for Georg and Christa is evidenced by his willingness to give up his successful

career to ensure their continued safety and freedom.