The Lives of Others
This critically-acclaimed, Oscar®-winning film (Best Foreign Language Film, 2006) is the erotic, emotionally-charged experience Lisa Schwarzbaum (Entertainment Weekly) calls "a nail-biter of a thriller!" Before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, East Germany?s population was closely monitored by the State Secret Police (Stasi). Only a few citizens above suspicion, like renowned pro-Socialist playwright Georg Dreyman, were permitted to lead private lives. But when a corrupt government official falls for Georg?s stunning actress-girlfriend, Christa, an ambitious Stasi policeman is ordered to bug the writer?s apartment to gain incriminating evidence against the rival. Now, what the officer discovers is about to dramatically change their lives - as well as his - in this seductive political thriller Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) proclaims is "the best kind of movie: one you can?t get out of your head."
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Nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, this is a first-rate thriller that, like Bertolucci's The Conformist and Coppola's The Conversation, opts for character development over car chases. The place is East Berlin, the year is 1984, and it all begins with a simple surveillance assignment: Capt. Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe in a restrained, yet deeply felt performance), a Stasi officer and a specialist in this kind of thing, has been assigned to keep an eye on Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch, Black Book), a respected playwright, and his actress girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck, Mostly Martha). Though Dreyman is known to associate with the occasional dissident, like blacklisted director Albert Jerska (Volkmar Kleinert), his record is spotless. Everything changes when Wiesler discovers that Minister Hempf (Thomas Thieme) has an ulterior motive in spying on this seemingly upright citizen. In other words, it's personal, and Wiesler's sympathies shift from the government to its people--or at least to this one particular person. That would be risky enough, but then Wiesler uses his privileged position to affect a change in Dreyman's life. The God-like move he makes may be minor and untraceable, but it will have major consequences for all concerned, including Wiesler himself. Writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck starts with a simple premise that becomes more complicated and emotionally involving as his assured debut unfolds. Though three epilogues is, arguably, two too many, The Lives of Others is always elegant, never confusing. It's class with feeling. --Kathleen C. Fennessy Beyond The Lives of Others 
Films from Germany | 
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from Sony Pictures Classics |
Stills from The Lives of Others (click for larger image)
The Lives of Others Accessories
 Black Book
Eastern Promises (Widescreen Edition)
Michael Clayton (Widescreen Edition)
La Vie en Rose (Extended Version)
Volver
Zodiac - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Downfall
Away from Her
Gone Baby Gone
The Lives of Others Reviews
It is simply unforgettable. It ranks among the greatest achievements of cinema. This is a film about a Lenin who hears the music, and, above all, the music of other people's lives. Lenin, according to Gorky, said that he could not continue to listen to Beethoven's "Appasionata," because he would stroke the heads that he must crush. This is a truly extraordinary film on every level: a profound, humanistic, historically meticulous work; stunningly researched; exquisitely filmed; brilliantly acted.
Being one that actually had first hand experience with the East German Stasi this movie is dead on. The late Ulrich Muhe who plays the villian turned sympathetic hero, knows his role perfect, his second wife spied on him for the secret police in East Germany. Great.
This movie should be watched by every person 18 and older in this country.especially in the light of the results of the recent election. If anyone would like to see for themselves the extent to which an out of control, nanny state government can reach this is required viewing.
There be lots more canvas for other movies. The best movie that covers a lot of the eastern way. I visitet every year from the time I was 8 years old to 14 years old. Exellent viewing and exellent as far as facts go. My grandparents where seperatet from us between east and west. I was born there. I had various exeriances crossing the border and livering in the comunist country 6 weeks every year.
He had to make do by working as a mailman. That was a priceless last scene to a well-written, well-acted, and well-edited film, one of the best I've seem in the past 5 years. Colonel Grubitz and now his subordinate. Yes, Captain Wiesler did pay for not "doing his job right", even after the fall of East Germany.
I just want to say that I was shouting with joy when I saw the first of the 3 epilogues. I can't help but to feel a rush of tears to my eyes and warmth in my heart seeing the last scene when he said to the bookstore clerk that the book "Sonata for a Good Man" he was about to pay for was "for him". I work for government and I have my fair share of seeing characters like Minister Hempt and Lt. Colonel Grubitz, whom appear to the world staunch beholders of believes and ideals but in reality are just power hungry and greedy.
20 YEARS.". When Captain Wiesler was demoted by Lt. The one who really believes in his country's direction and who really knows how to do his job (getting confessions and snooping) right is Captain Gerd Wiesler (code name: HGW XX/7), who was classmates with Lt. With an old classmate in a high place, Captain Wiesler should have no trouble moving up the career ladder into a cushy position and comfortable retirement. People in government jobs who are out of favor, who had done something wrong, or who were not aligned with rising stars know this fate intimately.
Many people had summarized the plot so I won't repeat here. Colonel Grubitz to a basement room to steam-open letters (to check for content), Grubitz screamed at him "Do you know how long you'd be steaming letters. That's why it's such a joy to see Wiesler out of steaming letters after less than 5 years at it. There's barely a hint of smile lurking in the corner of his mouth when the frame stopped. A chance assignment to monitor his country's best play write and his living actress girl friend changed Captain Wiesler and those he monitored lives forever.
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