The Lives of Others

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Customer Reviews:

Stasi Life [Posted on 2008-11-03]
'The Lives of Others' deserved its foreign-language Oscar.
The acting and plot were well integrated, and the overall
theme of the violation of privacy was gripping. The writer-
director's commentary on the DVD was engrossing.

Somewhere, somehow, someone..... [Posted on 2008-11-12]
In a heartless time under a heartless regime, somehow, someone found a heart, and faced with a dilemma made a decision, that would impact the Lives of Others.

It is a rare sign only seen in the best movies, and masterful how this movie builds up, and unwinds, and unwinds even more just as you think its already completely unwound.

This story is as intricate as the inner working of a watch, make the slightest wrong adjustment and....

So Ulrich Muhe gives an excellent performance as does Sebastian Koch as Dreyman. Apparently, Muhe was bugged himself when he live in East Germany, and his ex wife sued him for mentioning this in a radio interview.

Lives of Others won Best Foreign Language movie at the Oscars. After watching the movie, I watched some of the earlier scenes over. At around 8 minutes you see the actresses proclamation on stage, and the words she said set up two later scenes. See if you can figure it out.

If you're like me, and you love this movie, you will most probably also like Blackbook, also starring Sebastian Koch as the male lead. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, of Basic Instinct and Total Recall fame. One of the few movies I have bought in addition to watching.

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You must see this film!!! [Posted on 2008-11-20]
I work for government and I have my fair share of seeing characters like Minister Hempt and Lt. Colonel Grubitz, whom appear to the world staunch beholders of believes and ideals but in reality are just power hungry and greedy.

The one who really believes in his country's direction and who really knows how to do his job (getting confessions and snooping) right is Captain Gerd Wiesler (code name: HGW XX/7), who was classmates with Lt. Colonel Grubitz and now his subordinate.

With an old classmate in a high place, Captain Wiesler should have no trouble moving up the career ladder into a cushy position and comfortable retirement. A chance assignment to monitor his country's best play write and his living actress girl friend changed Captain Wiesler and those he monitored lives forever.

Many people had summarized the plot so I won't repeat here. I just want to say that I was shouting with joy when I saw the first of the 3 epilogues. When Captain Wiesler was demoted by Lt. Colonel Grubitz to a basement room to steam-open letters (to check for content), Grubitz screamed at him "Do you know how long you'd be steaming letters? 20 YEARS!!!!". People in government jobs who are out of favor, who had done something wrong, or who were not aligned with rising stars know this fate intimately. That's why it's such a joy to see Wiesler out of steaming letters after less than 5 years at it.

Yes, Captain Wiesler did pay for not "doing his job right", even after the fall of East Germany. He had to make do by working as a mailman. I can't help but to feel a rush of tears to my eyes and warmth in my heart seeing the last scene when he said to the bookstore clerk that the book "Sonata for a Good Man" he was about to pay for was "for him". There's barely a hint of smile lurking in the corner of his mouth when the frame stopped. That was a priceless last scene to a well-written, well-acted, and well-edited film, one of the best I've seem in the past 5 years.

The lives of others [Posted on 2008-11-23]
The best movie that covers a lot of the eastern way. I was born there.
My grandparents where seperatet from us between east and west. I visitet every year from the time I was 8 years old to 14 years old. I had various exeriances crossing the border and livering in the comunist country 6 weeks every year. There be lots more canvas for other movies.
Exellent viewing and exellent as far as facts go.

Scary Stuff [Posted on 2008-11-23]
This movie should be watched by every person 18 and older in this country...especially in the light of the results of the recent election. If anyone would like to see for themselves the extent to which an out of control, nanny state government can reach this is required viewing.

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