Retail Therapy and "The Lives of Others"

[f4f3]

Yes, I know.
But I got word from my accountant that I was due a tax refund, and ASDA had the Wii Fit in, and I did say I was going to buy a console...
This is the reason why I'm not in bed at the cottage just now, but instead watching unblinkered  look set fair to shatter my hoola hoop record at the very first attempt - yup, she managed it.

To be fair, that's not entirely the reason we're staying home - there's a lot of general housekeeping to be done, and I really am pretty knackered, so much that the 2 hour drive in the dark (with the potential for snow on Sunday) didn't really appeal. So, quiet weekend called for.

We watched "The Lives of Others" on DVD tonight - a really earnest, but strangely unengaging German movie about the Stasi, and the warping affect the constant surveillance had on everyone. As I say, a worthy, well acted movie, but very stagey, almost Brechtian, and to me the objectification (or idealisation) of the single female character as an obvious surrogate for the nation left me annoyed - I think Brecht had an excuse for it, but it's pretty unforgiveable today. The movie also had little to say about human relationships under that sort of culture that Orwell hasn't said in 1984. I feel slightly churlish criticising what was obviously an attempt at honest film-making, but it demands to be taken seriously, so seriously is how I took it.

Oh, I forgot, there was another female character - a prostitute appears long enough to get topless. The personification of Germany gets naked a few times too. All of the men get to keep their kit on.

Comments

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

I overpaid last year, as it turns out. Huzzah!

Yeah, I've seen The Lives of Others. OK but not nearly as good as it thinks it is. And meh for the women taking their kit off.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

See, there's something to be said for fiscal pessimism.