The Lives of Others

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Viewer score based on 8 votes.

Critic Score

Critics' score based on 39 reviews.

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Theatrical Release Date:

02/09/2007

DVD Release Date:

08/21/2007

Run Time:

138min.

Starring:

Martina Gedeck , Ulrich Mühe , Sebastian Koch , Ulrich Tukur , Thomas Thieme

Director(s):

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Distributor(s):

Sony Classics

MPAA Rating:

R for some sexuality/nudity.

Genre(s):

Drama

Plot: A man who has devoted his life to ferreting out "dangerous" characters is thrown into a quandary when he investigates a man who poses no threat in this drama, the first feature from German filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Read More

Latest on The Lives of Others

The 50 Best Movies of 2007 (and the 10 Worst)

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Some 300 movies came out in 2007, and we managed to see almost every one that mattered (sorry, 'Who's Your Caddy?'). Hollywood had a good year, despite all those three-quel let-downs. We battled like Spartans (but with fewer casualties) to hammer out this...

Angelina Jolie to Play a Murdering Ex-Con in 'Unforgiven'

by Simon Abrams

Deadline Hollywood recently broke word that producer Graham King is looking to cast Angelina Jolie in a remake of the dramatic British mini-series Unforgiven. King has recently collaborated with Jolie on The Tourist, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's...

Jolie's 'Tourist' Set for 2011 with 'Lives of Others' Director

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Angelina Jolie's pet project The Tourist might finally have a director, according to Variety. Internationally acclaimed director and writer Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck 'hasn't formally entered into negotiations,' but it's looking likely that the man...

Another 'Valkyrie' Film to Challenge Cruise Film Prospects

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When two movies with similar plots hit theaters around the same time, it usually just reveals the vapidity of Hollywood formula (as was the case when Deep Impact and Armageddon came out a few months apart). The situation changes, however, when the subject...

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Your Reviews

Excellent. Americans, take heed...

May 22, 2008

padoma3

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Gripping and tense throughout.\nA window into the lives of people caught in the horrors of the Communist "system" \nWe usually associate German political terror with Hitler and the Nazis, but the Comm... unist Marxist tyranny which imprisoned East Germany from 1945 through the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. (the wall was built in 1961 with the "approval" of Nikita Kruschev) actually lasted longer than Hilter's reign.\nWonderful acting by all the main characters. \nHighly recommended. Full Review

May 22, 2008

p2826782

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East Germany was an extension of the Nazis and the Stalinists. This movie shows how it existed in our time, up until its fall in the late 1980s. It is hard to imagine what life was like in that enviro... nment but this movie gives you a window into that world superbly. It is a haunting, well acted and well crafted movie.This is not a bunch of good looking people doing a lot of brave things on great sets. It is stark and honest. It desreves the praise it is getting. I give it 90% Well worth the ticket price, but it might not be for the younger set, since it moves slowly and is steeped in content, not special effects. Full Review

May 22, 2008

johnsbury1

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I found this movie plodding and too long. Nothing new historically was revealed and the same point made too many times. Many scenes could have been cut and characters combined to made the same points.... The motive for change of the main character was is unknown. Does this movie remind anyone of Fahrenheit 451, a better movie with a similar story? Full Review

May 22, 2008

mitchpnyc

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"The Lives of Others" is a miracle of a film that manages to be both subtle and intense at the same time.What's even more astounding is that this is the feature debut from German writer-director Flori... an Henckel von Donnersmarck, who previously had made a few shorts and done some TV work.The international awards and acclaim "The Lives of Others" has received, along with a well-deserved Oscar nomination in the foreign-language category, should change all that. The movie is a political thriller but also a portrait of unexpected humanity - a marvel of controlled storytelling and mood, with brilliant performances. Then again, Henckel von Donnersmarck gives his actors rich material with which to work. These all feel like real people, flawed people, capable of mistakes and change who can surprise us as well as themselves. The members of the Stasi (the East German secret police) who rule this place - cruelly, arbitrarily, completely - aren't caricatures but fully fleshed-out beings who inspire a real feeling of dread. To reveal much more would be a disservice. We'll just say there are twists, ones that are both touching and stunning. And afterward they leave you wanting to see more from this filmmaker who clearly has a rare gift. Full Review

May 22, 2008

mfr65

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