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Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme ... see more see more... , Hans-Uwe Bauer , Herbert Knaup , Volkmar Kleinert , Matthias Brenner , Charly Hübner , Bastian Trost , Marie Gruber , Volker Zack Michalowski , Werner Daehn , Martin Brambach , Hubertus Hartmann , Thomas Arnold , Hinnerk Schonemann , Paul Fassnacht , Ludwig Blochberger , Paul Maximilian Schüller , Susanna Kraus , Gabi Fleming , Michael Gerber , Fabian von Kiltzing , Harald Polzin , Sheri Hagen , Gitta Schweighöfer , Elja-Dusa Kedves , Hildegard Schroedter , Inga Birkenfeld , Philipp Kewenik , Jens Wassermann , Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky , Manfred Ludwig Sextett , Kai Ivo Baulitz

A man who has devoted his life to ferreting out "dangerous" characters is thrown into a quandary when he investigates a man who poses no threat in this drama, the first feature from German filmmaker F... read more read more...lorian Henckel von Donnersmarck. It's 1984, and Capt. Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is an agent of the Stasi, the East German Secret Police. Weisler carefully and dispassionately investigates people who might be deemed some sort of threat to the state. Shortly after Weisler's former classmate, Lt. Col. Grubitz (Ulrich Tukur), invites him to a theatrical piece by celebrated East German playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch), Minister Bruno Hempf (Thomas Thieme) informs Weisler that he suspects Dreyman of political dissidence, and wonders if this renowned patriot is all that he seems to be. As it turns out, Hempf has something of an ulterior motive for trying to pin something on Dreyman: a deep-seated infatuation with Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck), Dreyman's girlfriend. Nevertheless, Grubitz, who is anxious to further his career, appoints Weisler to spy on the gentleman with his help. Weisler plants listening devices in Dreyman's apartment and begins shadowing the writer. As Weisler monitors Dreyman's daily life, however (from a secret surveillance station in the gentleman's attic), he discovers the writer is one of the few East Germans who genuinely believes in his leaders. This changes over time, however, as Dreyman discovers that Christa-Maria is being blackmailed into a sexual relationship with Hempf, and one of Dreyman's friends, stage director Albert Jerska (Volkmar Kleinert), is driven to suicide after himself being blackballed by the government. Dreyman's loyalty thus shifts away from the East German government, and he anonymously posts an anti-establishment piece in a major newspaper which rouses the fury of government officials. Meanwhile, Weisler becomes deeply emotionally drawn into the lives of Dreyman and Sieland, and becomes something of an anti-establishment figure himself, embracing freedom of thought and expression. A major box-office success in Germany, Das Leben der Anderen (aka The Lives of Others) received its North American premiere at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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95% liked it

113,434 ratings

Critics

93% liked it

152 critics

R, 2 hr. 18 min.

Directed by: Florian Henckel-Donnersmarck

Release Date: March 23, 2006

Keywords: sad, foreign, spy, crafted, quality

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DVD Release Date: August 21, 2007

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Stats: 12,954 reviews

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Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) The Lives of Others Ulrich Mühe Martina Gedeck ulrich muhe Ulrich Mühe Martina Gedeck and Sebastian Koch Ulrich Mühe ulrich muhe The Lives of Others .. The Lives of Others The Lives of Others The Lives of Others The Lives of Others
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Flixster Reviews (12,954)

  • brooklynspo
    September 1, 2007
    brooklynspo
    Reminded me of Terry Gilliams's Brazil but with none of the the fantasy elements. And a lot more somber. Somberer. (?)

    Any one else get that?

    Also, one of the best last lines ever.
  • cosmo313
    February 11, 2013
    cosmo313
    Before going Hollywood with The Tourist, writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck delivered the goods with this stellar Cold War drama.

    The time is 1984. The place is East Germany. Our protagonist is a member of the Stasi, or State Secret Police. His job is to constantly... read more monitor the activities of whoever he is told to. And he does, being the consummate professional that he is. Things start to get iffy though when he is assigned to monitor a playright who has a reputation for being a staunch pro-Communist...especially when the revelations he uncovers have major consequences for lots of people, including himself.

    I really loved this one. It's weird for me to say that too, because surveillance and bugging, and all of that creeps me out. The world of paranoia and secrecy is quite fascinating though, especially here since this is a period piece rooted in interesting history.

    The film is subtle, quiet, intelligent, and really rewarding for the patient. It's also gorgeous in its look, mood, tone, atmosphere, and art direction/set design. It is a thriller, bbut not the slam bang wall -to-wall action type, and that's what I liked about it. Yeah, there's some development lacking with some of the characters, but overall this is still a marvelous piece of work with some tremendous acting, good ideas, and great subject matter.

    Definitely give this one a look. It's not going to be for all tastes, but if you enjoyed something like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, then you'll probably enjoy this one as well.
  • garyX
    November 28, 2012
    garyX
    A member of the East German secret police who is investigating a famous playwright and suspected subversive grows ever more sympathetic towards the people he is spying upon when faced with the everyday pressures of the oppressive regime he represents. Although touted as a "thrill... read moreer", anyone expecting car chases and shoot-outs from The Lives Of Others will be gravely disappointed. It's a far more intellectual exercise that examines the meaning of freedom and its intimate link with personal privacy, something violated with impunity by The Stasi in the post war years of communist Germany. The story begins showing Ulrich Mühe's character as not an evil man, but a joyless, officious bureaucrat who truly believes in what he is doing. It is only when he is faced with the reality of the invasive system he is a part of that he begins to question the validity of his activities; especially when it becomes obvious that the accusations were made by a corrupt superior out of sexual jealousy and a colleague who sees the ruination of an obviously decent couple as a mere means to furthering his own career. Very nicely shot and performed, It's a thoughtful and beautifully crafted story that exercises the brain rather than the adrenaline gland and is all the more rewarding for it.
  • bbcfloridabound
    September 19, 2012
    bbcfloridabound
    A good film, true story??? But it shows how the GDR was like before the wall came down. Great acting, Had to pat attention and read the subtitles. Glad I rented it, didn't like it at first as it was slow, but after about 45 min I was stuck to the TV. 6-28-12
  • danperry17
    February 18, 2012
    danperry17
    A film with everything: natural, honest intrigue; freedom of speech questions; a heart-rending love story; a spooky soundtrack; fantastic acting (by Ulrich Muhe), and more. The tension is high from the beginning, and it comes from the institutionalized paranoia that comes with th... read moree main character's task: spying and reporting on a writer who, though he's long been a friend to the state, may finally have a reason to go West and speak out. So much comes together in the end of this film, and you won't mind its flashes forward as it wraps up: they're really the only way out. The film is so deep in its moment, you forget that there is a way out, that a society need not operate this way, with surveillance and secret police and what not. An excellent period piece that's essential viewing, one of the best European films I've ever seen.
  • paulkoh110
    December 13, 2011
    paulkoh110
    A modern-day perfection of The Conversation! The story is touching and strikes you with a back slap of emotion! Watch this if you're a fan of cinema in general!
  • fb1216165431
    September 9, 2011
    fb1216165431
    The Lives Of Others is a film that mesmerizes with its excellent rendition of history pre-Germany and the intellectual resistance in East Germany. A surprising and insightful multifaceted political drama thriller that continuously rewards its audience with genius plot elements an... read mored development. A film crafted from wisdom and ideologies, The Lives Of Others is an intelligent masterful work of a genius. Extraordinary.
  • imrealgod
    May 4, 2011
    imrealgod
    Awfully awesome. I specifically liked the way the movie is set, and the performance of its lead character Wiesler. Of course, it has some minor flaws, but one should overlook that. After all, I can't be available for everyone everywhere all the time (yeah, even being omnipresent ... read moredoesn't suffice).
  • hunterjt13
    April 3, 2011
    hunterjt13
    An East German surveillance officer grows to question the GDR regime as he stalks a writer and his actress girlfriend.
    They say the highest form of flattery is imitation, but I think it's a pretty high compliment to quote someone. So, here is part of what aliceinpunderland wrote... read more about this film: "Ulrich Muhe's stone-face is so quietly complex. I love the scene in the elevator with the little boy. After the boy blithely mentions his father's hatred for the Stasi, Wiesler says, 'What's the name of your...ball?' subtly marking his moral and ethical turning point from stoic agent of Stasi surveillance - and in a sense, criminal justice - to impassioned man, in love with celebrated stage actress, Christa Sieland - both her person and what she represents: the freedom that comes with embodying someone else." I couldn't agree more. Muhle's subtle performance is the highlight of this political drama set a half-decade before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
    I thought it got a little slow in the second act, and perhaps it can be blamed on the language barrier, but I found some difficulty keeping up with Sieland's comings and goings and whom she was coming and going with (mostly coming).
    Overall, though, The Lives of Others is a tense, powerful drama, and you won't be disappointed.
  • CloudStrife84
    February 12, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    Dull in color, yet rich in compelling intrigues. On the surface, it looks like a pretty dreary film, but once you start watching, you'll soon discover that it's anything but. I don't know much about the politics the reigned in East Germany back in 1984, but it's quite scary to th... read moreink that, less than 30 years ago, they had a secret police that exercised torture and privacy-intruding surveillance. I'm thankful I've never had to live through anything like that, and I hope I never will. In any case, this is a splendid drama-thriller from Germany, with superb direction and constantly high suspense. So should you ever be in the mood for an engaging story, that wasn't penned in Hollywood, this is one such alternative I can strongly recommend. Wirklich sehr gut!

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert
September 21, 2007
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The Lives of Others is a powerful but quiet film, constructed of hidden thoughts and secret desires. Full Review

Roger Moore
March 16, 2007
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's film is a melodrama in a minor key, quietly affecting, quietly chilling, quietly quiet. It captures the drab architecture of totalitarianism, the soul-dead buildings... Full Review

Amy Biancolli
March 2, 2007
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Its suspense builds on the fragile and nuanced business of emotional rebirth. Full Review

Tom Long
March 2, 2007
Tom Long, Detroit News

A political thriller that's consistently as inventive as it is creepy. Full Review

Terry Lawson
March 2, 2007
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

Few would deny that The Lives of Others is true to its self, and in its depiction of human nature -- and human spirit. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
March 1, 2007
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Poised between Kafka and Tom Cruise, The Lives of Others is the sort of movie that constantly engages you. You never know what's going to happen next, and it's all done with a precision and intelligen... Full Review

Carrie Rickey
February 23, 2007
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Of the many things that happen in this surprising, sad and astonishing movie, none is more staggering than Wiesler's evolution from lowly bureaucratic beetle to humanist.

Robert Denerstein
February 23, 2007
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Morally complex, beautifully shaded and filled with fascinating characters, this debut film from director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck brings us into a world that severely tests moral fiber.

Lisa Kennedy
February 23, 2007
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

It is Ulrich Muhe's portrayal of Wiesler that makes the film such an impressively humane political thriller. The muted shifts in Wiesler's character suggest that when you truly engage the lives of oth... Full Review

Chris Vognar
February 23, 2007
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

Set, appropriately, in 1984, The Lives of Others weaves a compelling human drama into a chilling portrait of polite totalitarianism. Full Review

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    • Bookseller: Want it gift-wrapped?
    • Captain Gerd Wiesler: No, it's for me.
    • Georg Dreyman: The state office for statistics on Hans-Beimler street counts everything; knows everything: how many pairs of shoes I buy a year: 2.3, how many books I read a year: 3.2 and how many students graduate with perfect marks: 6,347. But there's one statistic that isn't collected there, perhaps because such numbers cause even paper-pushers pain: and that is the suicide rate.
    • Captain Gerd Wiesler: An innocent prisoner will become more angry by the hour due to the injustice suffered. He will shout and rage. A guilty prisoner becomes more calm and quiet. Or he cries. He knows he's there for a reason. The best way to establish guilt or innocence is non-stop interrogation.
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The Lives of Others Trivia

  • Which movie won the best Foreign Film oscar in the 2007 awards?  Answer »
  • The film The Lives of Others, set in a 1980s dictatorship, takes place in what country?  Answer »
  • Which of the following films was NOT scored by Alexandre Desplat?  Answer »
  • Notable & Influential Films of ____. The Lives of Others Pan?s Labyrinth 300 Children of Men Blood Diamond  Answer »
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