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The Lives of Others

Play trailer 1:42 Poster for The Lives of Others R 2007 2h 17m History Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 161 Reviews 96% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
In 1983 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), doubting that a famous playwright (Sebastian Koch) is loyal to the Communist Party, receives approval to spy on the man and his actress-lover Christa-Maria (Martina Gedeck). Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, then faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria and orders Wiesler to get the playwright out of the way.
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The Lives of Others

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Critics Consensus

Unlike more traditional spy films, The Lives of Others doesn't sacrifice character for cloak and dagger chases, and the performances (notably that by the late Ulrich Muhe) stay with you.

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Critics Reviews

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Shubhra Gupta The Indian Express 05/07/2019
As [Captain Gerd] Weisler discovers his real self, layer by layer, we are in the presence of a masterful performance. Go to Full Review Namrata Joshi Outlook 01/30/2019
4/4
Donnersmarck makes an assured debut, builds the atmosphere of deceit, suspicion and suffocation and also undercuts it with some jokey moments. Go to Full Review Christy Lemire ChristyLemire.com 08/23/2018
4/4
The Lives of Others is exquisitely tense, with massive stakes and a pervasive sense of danger. Go to Full Review Alan Jones Radio Times 08/08/2024
5/5
Brilliantly told through exceptional performances and dynamic storytelling, this heart-wrenching thriller is a triumph of nuanced tension centred on rediscovering one's humanity in a place where it seems forgotten. Go to Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand 04/14/2023
'The Lives of Others' is dark, but burning beneath the scathing political exposé of the GDR’s despotic paranoia and the personal tragedy of the drama is a bracing story of idealism, disillusionment, and defiance. Go to Full Review Victor Pineyro Seventh Art Studio 06/17/2022
9/10
In an on itself the film is about freedom, love, compassion, solitude, and everything that gets downtrodden in an oppression regime. An incredible paradox around obsession disguised as a film. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jesse M @jmausner Jun 18 A masterpiece. Possibly the best spy film ever made, and also one of the most accurate in its depiction of Stasi spying techniques. The character arc of Ulrich Muhe’s officer is deeply affecting, with an ending that is simply unforgettable. Technically it’s fiction, but it might as well be a true story. See more Alessio P @framebyframe347 Apr 7 The Lives of Others is a very powerful film, built with great tension and an atmosphere that feels cold, oppressive, and lingering. What I appreciated most is the way it portrays surveillance and loneliness without relying on big dramatic scenes. Ulrich Mühe is outstanding and carries almost all of the film’s emotional weight. That said, at some points the main character’s development felt a little too carefully constructed, and for that reason I cannot quite see it as an absolute masterpiece. Even so, it remains an intelligent, intense, and deeply engaging film. See more Tom F @RT55173143 Apr 3 A great idea for a story with some good bits and characters, but it comes across as a near miss for me. See more Cecilia T @CBCB2000 Feb 16 Historically precise with soulful acting and able to capture life in the eastern block. Definitely worth watching but has quite a slow start, def not an entertaining watch nor a light watch. See more Atilla T @Treviewd1nce Feb 1 What I don't understand is why would East Germans want to live like that even the people in power. Unless, they lived for surveillance and controlling others. It was their reality TV show. Basically, they were untalented in the arts. See more Luke S @RT56467052 Nov 5 Perfectly constructed. A masterpiece. See more Read all reviews
The Lives of Others

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Cast & Crew

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Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Director

Martina Gedeck

Christa-Maria Sieland

Ulrich Mühe

Capt. Gerd Wiesler

Sebastian Koch

Georg Dreyman

Ulrich Tukur

Lt. Col. Anton Grubitz

Thomas Thieme

Minister Bruno Hempf

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The Lives of Others

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The Lives of Others

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1983 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), doubting that a famous playwright (Sebastian Koch) is loyal to the Communist Party, receives approval to spy on the man and his actress-lover Christa-Maria (Martina Gedeck). Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, then faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria and orders Wiesler to get the playwright out of the way.
Director
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Producer
Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Creado Film, Arte, Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion, Bayerischer Rundfunk
Rating
R (Some Sexuality/Nudity)
Genre
History, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 9, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 20, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.3M
Runtime
2h 17m