Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
REVIEW 'The Lives of Others' transforms film into raw, heart-wrenching theater
Im Soo-hyang, left, and Jang Seung-jo are seen in this promotional poster for the play "The Lives of Others," which is returning for a revival after its premiere in November 2024. Courtesy of Project Group Ilda
By Park Jin-hai
"The Lives of Others" is returning to the stage, offering a profound look at how human empathy can break through totalitarian control.
Running from July 1 to Sept. 13 at the LG Arts Center Seoul U+ Stage, this co-production by Project Group Ilda and Library Company adapts Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s acclaimed film, "Das Leben der Anderen." Under Son Sang-kyu’s direction, the play revisits the journey of a state spy who is irrevocably transformed by the very suffering he is ordered to watch.
Set in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the story delves into the psychological shift in the mind of Gerd Wiesler (Yoon Na-moo), a secret police officer with what seems to be an unshakeable faith in the socialist regime.
Assigned to wiretap East Germany’s top playwright Georg Dreyman (Jang Seung-jo) and his partner, the popular actress Christa-Maria Sieland (Im Soo-hyang), Wiesler finds himself drawn into their private lives.
While Dreyman and Sieland try to live as mainstream artists, they are increasingly forced to choose between conformity and resistance.
When Dreyman’s close friend is blacklisted and commits suicide, the devastated playwright secretly pens an exposé for the West German weekly Der Spiegel, blowing the whistle on the East German government’s cover-up of rising suicide statistics. Witnessing the couple’s pure passion for art and love deeply shakes Wiesler’s inner world, leading him to falsify his surveillance logs to protect them.
Yoon Na-moo, who alternates his role with Lee Dong-hwi, anchors the show with a dense and gripping performance as a secret police officer of East Germany for the play "The Lives of Others." Courtesy of Project Group Ilda
This production marks the play’s second run, following a highly successful premiere in 2024. While staying faithful to the core of the original film, the stage adaptation delivers a distilled version of the characters' dilemmas. Where the film was celebrated for its cold, minimalist understatement, the play allows emotions to erupt more boldly.
The emotional climax arrives in the final scene, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when Dreyman publishes a new book dedicated to the anonymous spy who saved him.
When Wiesler buys the book and the clerk asks, "Would you like it wrapped?" Wiesler answers, "No, it's for me," and finally lets his tears flow. It is a profoundly moving ending that shows how art and sincerity can completely connect two people, even if they never meet face-to-face.
The production relies heavily on the nuanced acting of its cast. Yoon, who alternates in his role with Lee Dong-hwi, anchors the show with a dense and gripping performance as Wiesler, capturing the silent fracturing of his ideology. Joining the cast are Jang and Im, who bring emotional range to Dreyman and Sieland.
The staging brilliantly capitalizes on the unique strengths of live theater.
During wiretapping scenes, whenever Dreyman speaks, Wiesler stands right beside him like a shadow, holding a telephone receiver. They share the same physical stage yet exist in entirely different worlds. This direction creates immense tension, showing the intrusive reality of surveillance operating right beside the victim. Once discovered, physical wiretapping cords rain down from the ceiling, symbolizing how the state violently tears into private sanctuaries.
While audience members who haven’t seen the original film might need a moment to process the historical context — making a quick watch of the movie beforehand is highly recommended — the play provides sustained, unyielding tension.
With virtually no comedic relief, this production is perfect for theatergoers seeking a moving meditation on human goodness in the most difficult of circumstances.