Review of The Lives of Others The Lives of Others, directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, provides valuable insight into what life was like in East Berlin during the 1980s, while also being a wildly entertaining and well-made film. The plot follows Gerd Wiesler, a Stasi teacher and officer. The Stasi were the police force responsible for enforcing the harsh rules of East Germany. Wiesler was assigned to spy on a writer by the name of Georg Dreyman, who was suspected by the government to have values that aligned more with those of West Germany. Throughout his surveillance, Wiesler’s values and morals are challenged, leading him to question his allegiance to the Stasi. The film was beautifully put together by von Donnersmarck. Much of the appeal of the film was its complex characters, whose varying storylines were woven together to create a beautiful picture together. Our knowledge of the actions of many different characters in the film led to a very suspenseful viewing experience, since much of the plot was built around particular characters not knowing certain information about different characters. As a viewer, it was nerve-wracking to see different characters coming so close finding out details that would have greatly affected the trajectory of the movie. This inclined viewers to keep their full attention on the film, as it constantly felt as though the protagonists were seconds away from meeting their demise. In addition to the plot, the setting of East Berlin was beautifully replicated by the creators. One key aspect of the film was the constant gloomy lighting. There were practically zero moments in the film with any sort of bright lighting. This was useful in showing the sad and oppressive mood seen in East Germany. The camerawork in the film was also expertly done. Many of the shots included close-ups of the characters and slow panning, both of which helped to build suspense. Overall, The Lives of Others was an excellent film due to both its plot and filming techniques. The film has received a lot of praise in the media, including winning an Oscar for the best foreign language film. I think that this praise was warranted. I would recommend that everyone watches this movie. It brings entertainment and insight into East Germany together perfectly.

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s The Lives of Others is an impactful movie that tells a story about life under East Germany’s Stasi police state in the 1980s, and the unsettling mood of the film lingers long after it’s over. Using a tightly written script, and with subtle performances, the filmmakers work to be true to the paranoia and fear that infuses everything in a controlled society, but simultaneously capture the humanity that can also be found. The movie is based on the story of Captain Gerd Wiesler, a loyal Stasi member assigned to surveil a playwright and his actress girlfriend. Initially Wiesler is aligned with the regime’s unflinching enforcement of its laws; but ultimately, when he hears (and sees) the beauty, truth, and love of the playwright and his girlfriend – who is not present in his life – he begins a slow transformation of sorts. The transformation is revealed over the course of the movie, and one of the film's most poignant elements is that, other than some dialogue, Wiesler is silent. Ulrich Mühe fantastically implies empathetic change through facial expression and relaxed muscle movements. His transformation is convincing and devastating. It subtly demonstrates how art (and empathy) can affect even the most destructive loyalties. The singular experience of ‘The Lives of Others' is that the filmmakers do not allow the characters to forget their basic humanity or reduce anyone to a mere caricature. Wiesler's victims are imperfect, and the oppressors are more than just mustache-twirling villains. This kind of layered complexity adds to the emotional authenticity of the project as a whole. A poignant stretch of action, in which Wiesler protects his target — the people he is spying on — is fraught with tension and also the weight of moral discovery — that people, even in systems that try to crush them, can choose decency. The muted colors and a more decisive pacing reflect the grey and controlled world of East Berlin. It may seem slow to some, but that pacing heightens the tension and mirrors the muted strangulation of the period. In sum, ‘The Lives of Others’ is not simply a historical drama, but a narrative of conscience, resistance, and lasting kindness. It stays with you long after the credits, insisting you ponder what it means to listen — and subsequently, to act.

Sensitive, deep, and tense ! Very important to keeo us aware of something that was happening "yesterday", and is still happening today, but in different ways !

The Lives of Others is a visually masterfully staged work that captures the dark atmosphere of the GDR in an op- and impressive way. The craftsmanship of the film is remarkable (especially for a German film) and can compete with the best productions on an international level. Ulrich Mühe as Wiesler is absolutely outstanding. However, Wiesler's character development, especially with regard to his transformation, is not entirely convincing at times and is difficult to understand. Nevertheless, the film remains a touching, multi-layered drama about surveillance, morality and resistance to a totalitarian regime.

An very tense drama that has an amazing performance and taut direction

The best German film I have personally seen. One of the best movies I've seen.

A masterpiece. One of the best films of the early 2000s

I had wanted to watch this movie when it first came out, because I had heard it was excellent. Many years later, I finally did. It certainly was worth seeing. The story, the acting, the setting of Communist East Germany were all really superb. I thought it was the best movie I have seen in a long time. The ending was a positive one, and very touching.

Very well done drama with some excellent performances. Excellent ending too.

A really, really must see given the current state of affairs in the US. Saw as part of TCM's Spotlight "Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time" which itself is based on The New Republic's feature "The 100 Most Significant Political Films of All Time". Their list is an excellent guide to follow for those interested.

Sehr ausgezeichnet. Sehr dunkel und Ulrich hatte überhaupt ein großer Herz.

Analyze and intellectualize all you want -- this just is a very fine motion picture. Wonderfully acted and, sadly, most believable. A fine blend of suspense and ultimate redemption.

A subtle spy thriller with well developed characters. By the end, you will be transformed by how the game is played, should be played and how to keep your self, your outtie, your inne and the truth as it is and can be manipulated. Or not.

Boring people stalking boring people. 4.4/10 - Read 1984 and watch The Matrix instead.

This movie isn’t for everyone. You certainly have to have a taste for central/eastern Europe period pieces and not mind listening to the German language being spoken for an entire movie. It was a lifeless and drab story looking through a small window at lifeless and drab socialism, but hey, to each their own.

Authentic representation of the cruel time and life changing stories in DDR.

An authentic closeup of life in east Berlin in the 80s. It's worth a watch but the true target audience might be the former kids from Eastern Europe who grew up in this era and experienced the communism/socialism.

I love both of the HGW XX/7 as well as the be-listener...especially at the end...

From the moment it begins, you will be on the edge of your seat. More Americans need to see this movie to fully understand just how lucky they are, and how the rest of the world lives. A pain to have to read the subtitles, but the plot, cast and story are amazing !

I really like the subject matter and how they portrayed this time period with how they showed how information on betrayal to one's allegiance would get reported/investigated/and gathered. It makes you think how it's different now since there is a lot more technology and mediums involved with this kind of spying even in so called "democracies" and "free" societies, and the acting on top of all of that was good as well. It kind of slowed down in the middle of the film a bit but by the end it wrapped itself up very nicely and it was good closure with how the story and arcs were handled. The closing lines and moments at the very end were perfect! Quite powerful.