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| The Lives Of Others [2007] | ![The Lives Of Others [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GT-evfaTL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck
Actors: Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur, Hans Bauer, Ulrich Muehe
Studio: Lions Gate Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £4.98
You Save: £15.01 (75%)
New (22) from £4.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  98 reviews
Sales Rank: 150
Format: Anamorphic, Pal
Languages: English (Subtitled), German (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Running Time: 132 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.6
EAN: 5060052412270
ASIN: B000R342QS
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: September 17, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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Amazon.co.uk Review
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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 93 more reviews...
 Love it October 11, 2008
i have just watched this film for the second time and it is even better than i remembered.
Atmospheric, eveoctive of the time and gripping - cannot reccomend it enough
A masterpiece September 12, 2008
What can I say. Very rarely do I come across a film which actually makes a connection with my heart as well as my brain. It exposed the brutality and ruthlessness of the GDR and its secret police force, the Stasi, whilst subtley exposing the delicate and fragile lives of its citizens, as well as one of its operatives and his transition from enforcer to dissident. Bravo.
 Great movie but not a masterpiece August 10, 2008
The Lives of Others is a great movie, but I can't rate it a masterpiece. On the plus side, the director has a total command of the medium, he knows how to make a suspenseful, thoughtful, entertaining movie, that holds the interest of the audience even at a running time that exceeds 2 hours. What's more, the acting is uniformly extraordinary. Let's talk now about the main problems I see with this film. The emotional heart of the movie is when the Stasi officer in charge of spying the playwright and his girlfriend, a very tough and experienced individual who presumably has worked in many similar cases before, decides instead to protect them. Why he would do that, risking an end to his career and even a charge of treason?. Though his motivations are not altogether clear (he is an extremely reserved man), the change of heart seems to happen in part after listening the playwright playing a sonata on the piano after learning one of his colleagues committed suicide, after years of harassment by the government (he is also uneasy after finding out the Stasi is going for the playwright not for ideological reasons but in order that his beautiful girlfriend would then be available for the repellent minister of culture). As a metaphor from his newly found sensibility, he even steals a book from Brecht from the playwright's house, and is seen reading it. Is this believable? As much as the audience would be moved by a story of redemption, I think it's not. This is not a minor quibble, since this change of heart is really the main plot twist of the movie, on which all the film is build. The ending has a great closing line, but is also a bit difficult to accept. From what I know, few if any Stasi officers have expressed any remorse from what they did, and continue to defend their actions. That aside, this is a great film, from a young director that really knows how to make a movie that is both highly entertaining and thought provoking. And it has many great scenes that you vividly remember later. The best one: the young Stasi officer making a ill-timed Honecker joke in the cafeteria. It's a scene that's so good on so many levels.
The heart can rule the mind August 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
An incredible film which proves that ultimately, the heart can win out over the mind. Demonstrating the massive pressures both artists and the authorities were under in the Eastern Bloc, this film builds superbly, and the characters are so utterly believable and perfectly acted, I was quite literally on the edge of my seat, unable to sit back and relax with my glass of wine. The story shows the courage of artists unwilling to compromise in the face of fear, and also the bravery of those going against their frightening seniors within the government establishment. The film would already have ended well without the finale, which is a stunning and fitting end to a quite awesome work. A thoughtful, memorable, compelling and fascinating film.
A Must See August 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Having served with the British Armed Forces in West Berlin during the 1960s I felt an affinity with this film about life in the East. Although shielded from the excesses of the DDR (Eas Germany), nevertheless I felt I could identify strongly with the storyline. After my service ended I travelled frequently through East Germany on my way to Berlin or Poland. One always felt uncomfortable at the border and, inded, once I and my vehicle were searched thoroughly. I had visions of being locked up and the key thrown away. One might say that this feeling of menace is pure folklore,but the film actually, I feel, portrays a vivid reality of the DDR as it was. The film is a masterpiece and Ulrich Muehe, who died subsequently, plays his role menacingly in the beginning and then as he becomes aware that his position and role in the Stasi affects The Lives of Others, there is a change; a wonderful change. I weeped at the end and I make no excuse. The film is like that. I cannot recommend this film highly enough. For those who have had experience of the DDR as an antagonistic state, then this will qualify your feelings. I see parallels with the Nazi regime and the preoccupation for denunciation under Soviet style regimes in eastern Europe. Current freedoms may not be a panacea in the newly emerging countries of the eastern bloc, but living the kind of life portrayed in the film with the threat of Stasi surveillance and terror is no panacea either.
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