---
product_id: 48358437
title: "The Lives of Others [DVD] [2006]"
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---

# The Lives of Others [DVD] [2006]

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## Description

In the former East Germany, no-one was above suspicion. Like George Orwell's vision of the future come to life, art and people and relationships were monitored obsessively; The Lives Of Others captures not only the paranoia and danger inherent in such a world, but also expresses hope that even in the most desperate situations, people can make a difference. The story of The Lives Of Others unfolds mostly through the eyes of a secret service agent who's been given the task of spying on an artistic couple who've attracted the attention of the Minister of Culture. Little by little, he's drawn into their lives even as we're drawn into his; and as he loses his faith in the government, he must decide whether or not to try to hide the transgressions of those he's watching. As the physical danger and emotional cost mounts, it's impossible not to become utterly engrossed; intelligent and well-written, The Lives Of Others is also deeply moving. It's rare to find a film that really deserves its rave reviews, and considering The Lives Of Others won a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, it's got a lot to live up to. Happily, it's more than just up to scratch--it's absolutely brilliant. -- Sarah Dobbs Drama set in East Berlin prior to the fall of the communist government. Captain Gerd Weiser (Ulrich Muhe) is assigned to surveillance duties, specifically to collect information on popular dramatist Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his actress partner Christa Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck). As he becomes more and more submerged in their lives, Weiser's own attitudes to life, politics and the state begin to change, and it's not long before he finds himself in a dangerous situation.

Review: One word - Perfection - Everything about this film achieves perfection. The oppressive political regime is cleverly portrayed through a combination of the lack of speed and lightness in the interactions, even the furniture and scenery feels heavy. The weight of this stillness is portrayed in the face and movement of characters, most notably the Stasi Officer who dominates this film. Not for a single moment do we forget that all of the characters fear that the state has complete control over all, that no one is safe, and scrutiny can and does fall upon anyone without any provocation. In the midst of this tension, artists struggle to achieve their potential and to maintain integrity. We quickly have the impression that it seems natural to maintain a certain level of distrust in intimate relationships, as the Stasi have ways of threatening what is held most dear to an individual if they want information to be given or kept from somebody. Watching this film feels experiential somehow. The multiple levels of the story transition seamlessly as we move between the mindset of those who seem to believe in and promote the regime, and those who are seeking to enjoy the relationships with those around them whilst protecting their rights to achieve and even to work. We understand more about how toxic and pervasive this is by the way the actress CM forces herself to comply with the vile actions of the official who pursues her. The understated script and direction of her character, as well as that of her playwright boyfriend when he learns of and addresses it tells us more powerfully of the complete control of the state than any loud and voluble outpouring of emotion could be. Both characters epitomise dignity within despair. I haven't said much about the Stasi officer. His storyline illustrates the power of art to transform belief. In a few simple shots of him eating alone and his bureaucratic diligence when seeking to observe others, we understand him to be a lonely character. We begin to appreciate his developing sense of connection to his subjects, and see that he seems to care. Music and literature have a role in his awakening humanity. It is the treatment of the actress by his senior which appears to shift the ground from under his feet. We see that his ethical core has awakened and shifted. I am not going to detail the closing half hour of the film so that others may enjoy the inevitability of events unfolding.....we begin to appreciate how his actions to protect begin to inadvertently cause harm...and we see that his transformation begins to threaten his position and status. This actor was perfectly case. His face is especially haunting in one particular shot. Very very powerful. I have to say, as it is so very rarely achieved, that this film has a truly perfect ending.
Review: 9/10. The Lives of Others - 1984 is an inauspicious date for the setting of this fine movie about the East German autocracy. Whereas films like 'Goodbye Lenin' inspired a trend of nostalgia (coined as OSTalgia) for the GDR, 'The Life of Others' paints a more realistic picture. In a thoughtful, humane work, Stasi captain Gerd Wiesler is given a surveillance mission to spy on playwright Georg Dreyman and his actress girlfriend Christa-Maria Sieland. Weisler is an unquestioning party loyalist and cog in the Stasi machinery who takes pleasure in his thorough and exacting approach to such a mission. A dilligent professional, he is certainly not a sadist, but simply an automaton who divests emotional responsibility in the careful pursuit of his work. There is a brilliant early scene at the theatre where he is given his mission. Sitting in the Gods you are made privvy to the global perspective of a surveillance expert, the professional pleasure in his cold assessment of the situation. However, in a plot with shades of Francis Ford Copolla's masterpiece The Conversation, he find himself slowly drawn to the couple and ultimately implicated in their fate. Although it could also be suggested that there is a hint of 'Rear Window' about the story, Weisler's gradual softening of perspective is less Hitchcock-style obsession or voyeurism but rather about a lonely man warmed vicariously by the live and loves of others (hence the title). Georg and Christa-Maria's existence is one (un)governed by the senses, by friendship and romance. Their flat is warmly photographed as a haven of free expression, of literature, music and art. By contrast Weisler returns to his spartan appartment with only state propagandist television for company or entertainment. Furthermore, the soft warm tones of the couple's home is shown in stark opposition to Weisler's austere attic surveillance center, itself drained of almost all colour. Weisler chalks a map of the couples' flat on the bare floorboards of the gloomy attic, further illustrating his immersion in their lives but also his isolation from it. Brilliantly cast, Ulrich Mühe's Weisler has the emotionally fridgid and dispassionate features of a lobotomised Kevin Spacey. As his heart thaws, his expression softens in the subtlest of degrees, his marble eyes acquiring a human liquidity. In one scene, when Weisler weeps to the sound of Georg playing the piano, a tear erupts from his unchanged face as if the ice within him has melted. His emotional distance is also emphasised in another starkly lit scene in which Weisler has a brutally perfuntary encounter with a prostitute who makes it clear his time is on the meter. It's a understated masterpiece that - despite its sinister and ultimately tragic themes - doesn't resort to explicit violence or melodrama. It is also given levity by the subtlety of Ulrich Mühe's performance, and the humanity of the ending, which I won't spoil by divulging here.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Contributor | Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Thomas Thieme, Ulrich Mühe, Ulrich Tukur Contributor Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Thomas Thieme, Ulrich Mühe, Ulrich Tukur See more |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,522 Reviews |
| Format | Digital Sound, Dolby, PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 05060052412270 |
| Language | German |
| Manufacturer | Lions Gate Home Entertainment |
| Number of discs | 1 |
| Runtime | 132 minutes |

## Product Details

- **Format:** Digital Sound, Dolby, PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen
- **Contributor:** Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Thomas Thieme, Ulrich Mühe, Ulrich Tukur
- **Language:** German
- **Runtime:** 132 minutes
- **Colour:** Colour

## Images

![The Lives of Others [DVD] [2006] - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91iMied2A5L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One word - Perfection
*by D***A on 16 December 2016*

Everything about this film achieves perfection. The oppressive political regime is cleverly portrayed through a combination of the lack of speed and lightness in the interactions, even the furniture and scenery feels heavy. The weight of this stillness is portrayed in the face and movement of characters, most notably the Stasi Officer who dominates this film. Not for a single moment do we forget that all of the characters fear that the state has complete control over all, that no one is safe, and scrutiny can and does fall upon anyone without any provocation. In the midst of this tension, artists struggle to achieve their potential and to maintain integrity. We quickly have the impression that it seems natural to maintain a certain level of distrust in intimate relationships, as the Stasi have ways of threatening what is held most dear to an individual if they want information to be given or kept from somebody. Watching this film feels experiential somehow. The multiple levels of the story transition seamlessly as we move between the mindset of those who seem to believe in and promote the regime, and those who are seeking to enjoy the relationships with those around them whilst protecting their rights to achieve and even to work. We understand more about how toxic and pervasive this is by the way the actress CM forces herself to comply with the vile actions of the official who pursues her. The understated script and direction of her character, as well as that of her playwright boyfriend when he learns of and addresses it tells us more powerfully of the complete control of the state than any loud and voluble outpouring of emotion could be. Both characters epitomise dignity within despair. I haven't said much about the Stasi officer. His storyline illustrates the power of art to transform belief. In a few simple shots of him eating alone and his bureaucratic diligence when seeking to observe others, we understand him to be a lonely character. We begin to appreciate his developing sense of connection to his subjects, and see that he seems to care. Music and literature have a role in his awakening humanity. It is the treatment of the actress by his senior which appears to shift the ground from under his feet. We see that his ethical core has awakened and shifted. I am not going to detail the closing half hour of the film so that others may enjoy the inevitability of events unfolding.....we begin to appreciate how his actions to protect begin to inadvertently cause harm...and we see that his transformation begins to threaten his position and status. This actor was perfectly case. His face is especially haunting in one particular shot. Very very powerful. I have to say, as it is so very rarely achieved, that this film has a truly perfect ending.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 9/10. The Lives of Others
*by J***E on 1 April 2007*

1984 is an inauspicious date for the setting of this fine movie about the East German autocracy. Whereas films like 'Goodbye Lenin' inspired a trend of nostalgia (coined as OSTalgia) for the GDR, 'The Life of Others' paints a more realistic picture. In a thoughtful, humane work, Stasi captain Gerd Wiesler is given a surveillance mission to spy on playwright Georg Dreyman and his actress girlfriend Christa-Maria Sieland. Weisler is an unquestioning party loyalist and cog in the Stasi machinery who takes pleasure in his thorough and exacting approach to such a mission. A dilligent professional, he is certainly not a sadist, but simply an automaton who divests emotional responsibility in the careful pursuit of his work. There is a brilliant early scene at the theatre where he is given his mission. Sitting in the Gods you are made privvy to the global perspective of a surveillance expert, the professional pleasure in his cold assessment of the situation. However, in a plot with shades of Francis Ford Copolla's masterpiece The Conversation, he find himself slowly drawn to the couple and ultimately implicated in their fate. Although it could also be suggested that there is a hint of 'Rear Window' about the story, Weisler's gradual softening of perspective is less Hitchcock-style obsession or voyeurism but rather about a lonely man warmed vicariously by the live and loves of others (hence the title). Georg and Christa-Maria's existence is one (un)governed by the senses, by friendship and romance. Their flat is warmly photographed as a haven of free expression, of literature, music and art. By contrast Weisler returns to his spartan appartment with only state propagandist television for company or entertainment. Furthermore, the soft warm tones of the couple's home is shown in stark opposition to Weisler's austere attic surveillance center, itself drained of almost all colour. Weisler chalks a map of the couples' flat on the bare floorboards of the gloomy attic, further illustrating his immersion in their lives but also his isolation from it. Brilliantly cast, Ulrich Mühe's Weisler has the emotionally fridgid and dispassionate features of a lobotomised Kevin Spacey. As his heart thaws, his expression softens in the subtlest of degrees, his marble eyes acquiring a human liquidity. In one scene, when Weisler weeps to the sound of Georg playing the piano, a tear erupts from his unchanged face as if the ice within him has melted. His emotional distance is also emphasised in another starkly lit scene in which Weisler has a brutally perfuntary encounter with a prostitute who makes it clear his time is on the meter. It's a understated masterpiece that - despite its sinister and ultimately tragic themes - doesn't resort to explicit violence or melodrama. It is also given levity by the subtlety of Ulrich Mühe's performance, and the humanity of the ending, which I won't spoil by divulging here.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Film that Grips from First to Last - Totally Compelling
*by P***N on 31 December 2015*

This is a tremendously powerful film, & is now high on my list of favourites. I watched it twice in 48 hrs, & although I was profoundly moved by the first viewing, the second made even more of an impact, revealing nuances I hadnot fully appreciated originally. Earlier reviewers have praised the film eloquently, noting the superbly taut production values & mesmerising acting of the protagonists, as well as the pernicious logic & attention to detail of the GDR & not least, the small, redeeming moments of human goodness which make it so powerfully moving, so I will not further elaborate on these things. One thing that struck me: Weisler, the GDR officer at the core of the film, gradually finds his sympathies drawn towards the people he is spying on. But on my second viewing I saw it slightly differently. I believe his reason for suggesting surveillance was not unambivalently that he was suspicious, as he told his superior, but that from the moment he saw them in the theatre he was drawn to them. He has lead a lonely, narrow life, & it seems feasible to me that he experienced the first stirrings of a suppressed recognition or yearning as he gazed at the writer & actor at the end of the play, as they took their encores. He wanted to be them, or be like them. In effect & to use modern parlance, he began stalking them under the guise of surveillance, & unwittingly found himself more & more involved with them as a consequence. If you have not yet seen this film I urge you to do so. This is superlative cinema that you won't forget in a hurry.

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