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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 
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Stills from The Lives of Others (click for larger image)
Customer Review:A3SFO2GSP5CVSM
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Summary: Good
The few critics of the film, naturally, frame their criticisms not artistically, but based upon the director's supposed failure to truly depict how hard life really was in East Germany, or that a Wiesler could not have existed in reality, for the Stasi was so paranoid about loyalty that they always worked in pairs, etc. Of course, these criticism miss the point as much as the positive ones do. That Wiesler may not have been able to exist in reality has nothing to do with the diegetic reality of the film, wherein he functions quite well, save for the rather thin reason for his `treason.' As stated, it would have been more plausible if he protected Dreyman so that Grubitz and Hempf lost face, for abusing the `good will' of the Communist state. Few critics, though, have commented on the drab visuals (including those not intended), the trite dialogue between the artists, and the presence of numerous melodramatic plot twists used merely to move the sometimes slow moving 137 minute film along (it could have lost 30 minutes to great positive effect). Despite this, it is a solid film, but one likely not deserving of an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Picture, which it won.
I mentioned its affinity to The Conversation, but this film is far more prosaic, and, as terrific an acting performance as Mühe provides, his character is simply not nearly as complex as Gene Hackman's Harry Caul, nor is his self-doubt as realistically (and, more importantly, effectively) depicted. He should have been protecting Dreyman to screw Grubitz, rather than for Dreyman's sake (or even because he, too, lusted for Sieland), because that would have been believable, and added layers of depth to Wiesler's conversion (so, too, could shading have been thus added to Wiesler's taking of the typewriter- is he protecting Dreyman, or trying to hide his own prior protection of Dreyman? But, that also would have required a depth of life experience and writerly ability that the callow Donnersmarck, and his rather straightforward plot, lacked. However, all in all, a good effort from a first time filmmaker, and one that deserved applause, if not all the plaudits it received. For all its flaws, the screenplay and film, at least, attempt something of depth, even if, overall, they come up short. Wiesler ultimately loses faith not in the `system,' but in the people who run the system; this is why he is so disconsolate, even after the fall of the Berlin Wall, for his system is now dead.
The Lives Of Others does fall prey to the Day After Effect, for its flaws stick more than its good qualities, but it's worth a viewing for those good qualities, faithful or -less. And the number of films, American or not, these days, that can claim that, would take a far better interrogator than Wiesler to uncover.
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Summary: Fantastic!
The movie is wonderful! Not only that, it came on time and was just as it was listed as. Thanks so much!
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Summary: Excellent Prouuct
Very good movie, and I received very fast shipping. Will do business with these folks again.
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Summary: Incredible!
What a fantastic movie. Superb acting & direction. And an ending that left me speechless. Wow. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
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Summary: A peek behind the Iron Curtain
A rare peek of life under a communist, socialist government, in this case in 1984 East Germany. East Germany was in the World's spotlight, due to which it had the highest standard of living and the most freedoms of all other European communist block countries. Further, by 1984 things had improved to a considerable degree.
This film is a great achivement, a must see film. The writing and acting are exceptional and the twist in the plot is masterful.
However, to those who know and study this dark period in human history, there has not been other such "good" men.
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