The Lives of Others

The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006) Das Leben der Anderen

Ulrich Mühe, Martina Geek, Sebastian Koch

In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.

The Lives of Others is a powerful but quiet film, constructed of hidden thoughts and secret desires. ... It shows how the Wall finally fell, not with a bang, but because of whispers. Roger Ebert.

The strength of The Lives of Others is that it works on numerous levels - especially in the way it approaches Wiesler's complexity as an individual - and that none of the characters are one-dimensional or facile. With solid performances and a terrific screenplay, this movie offers solid, no-frills drama that feels organic and believable, not contrived. James Berardinelli.


Garry Gillard | New: 22 February, 2019 | Now: 22 February, 2019