Film Introduction"Two Lives" is a 2014 German-Norwegian secret drama movie based upon the unique "Eiszeiten" by Hannelore Hippe. Directed by Georg Maas, and starring Juliane Köhler and Liv Ullmann, the movie peels back the secrets of a family's previous amidst political stress in between Norway and Germany twenty years after World War II.
Plot In "Two Lives", Köhler portrays Kathrine Evensen, a lady living a satisfied family life in Norway. The narrative opens in 1990, just quickly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Kathrine receives the thought news of her dead mom still being alive. The movie scrupulously reveals Kathrine's dark past as a "war kid"; the departed offspring of Norwegian mothers and Nazi occupier daddies who were sent out to reside in German organizations during the war age.
Unveiling SecretsThe sudden look of Sven Solbach - a young German legal representative from the War Children commission, deciphers the kite of mystery. Sven desires Kathrine to testify about her past in a lawsuit declaring human rights infractions by the Norwegian state versus the war children. Kathrine discovers herself cornered as her spouse and child discover that she has actually been living under a false identity, as her genuine self, "Karin", was a Stasi (East German Secret Police) worker prior to settling in Norway.
Discoveries and ConflictsAs Kathrine's web of lies starts to unravel, she ends up being involved in an unsafe cat and mouse game with the shadowy figures of her past, including her mother Åse (Liv Ullmann), who are not eager to let their tricks be exposed. Åse, belonging of Kathrine's elaborate lie, includes more confounding layers to the plot.
Meanwhile, Kathrine's husband, who at first supports her, becomes conflicted as the fact unfolds. The atmosphere tightens when a stranger from East Germany check outs Kathrine, bidding her back into her past life and her genuine identity as "Karin". The tension escalates even more as Kathrine frantically has a hard time to keep her life while safeguarding herself from her haunting past.
Concluding Comments"Two Lives" centers on the bleak truth of war children, exploring their lifelong battle and the enduring trauma of a divided Europe. The film intertwines individuality, household relation, and spy-thriller aspects, leaving the audience at the heart of every discovery.
With an engaging story and effective efficiencies, specifically from Juliane Köhler and Liv Ullmann, "Two Lives" is a gritty and poignant portrayal of how the horrors of one's past can affect today and future. The movie is a haunting expedition of a forgotten chapter of World War II history that echoes blurrily into the post-war world.
It was chosen as the German entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, and was also on the January shortlist. "Two Lives" is a grim suggestion of the echoing effects of war, encapsulated within a multi-layered mystery/thriller that is as compelling as it is thought-provoking.
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