There was a nice crowd at the Magic Lantern tonight to watch the German Oscar winner “The Lives of Others” and to listen to Gonzaga University professors Richard McClelland and Brian Clayton comment about the film’s characters. The event was part of the Professor Series, sponsored by the Spokane International Film Festival.

One thing that’s always bothered me about the movie is the transition of the main character (Ulrich Muhe) from a true-believing member of the Stasi, the German secret police, to a man willing to put his career on the line for a writer (Sebastian Koch) and the actress (Martina Gedeck) whom he loves.

My experience with true believers is that they don’t change their colors that easily. But listening to McClelland and Clayton, plus some of the comments in the audience, gave me another perspective.

A week from now, when I introduce “Shane,” I hope something similar happens.