Amazing and unexpected drama
Beautiful film situated in the GDR 1984 about a writer who is being observed by a Stasi (state security) agent. The agent is a rather dedicated guy, but bit by bit his motivation spying on the writer turns and he tries to shield him.
The movie...
- 26.December.2011
- |
- by: Roelof Bijnema
- Roelof Bijnema rated this movie
 10/10Must See
Amazing and unexpected drama
Beautiful film situated in the GDR 1984 about a writer who is being observed by a Stasi (state security) agent. The agent is a rather dedicated guy, but bit by bit his motivation spying on the writer turns and he tries to shield him.
The movie very humanely depicts how the totalitarian nature of the state turns everybody prisoner of the web of lies, secrets and small and big treasons. The character development is impressive. The repulsive agent turns human. The arrogant writer turns vulnerable. And the sweet woman turns traitor, or doesn't she? See and find out.
- 26.December.2011
- |
- by: Roelof Bijnema
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
Must see film, Oscar well-deserved.
This movie stands out as a very strong, moving, well-intentioned film. It has a lot to say about government corruption, about the perils of absolute power and about the complete carelessness of human life under repressive political systems. The...
- 19.November.2011
- |
- by: jodyann
- jodyann rated this movie10/10Must See
Must see film, Oscar well-deserved.
This movie stands out as a very strong, moving, well-intentioned film. It has a lot to say about government corruption, about the perils of absolute power and about the complete carelessness of human life under repressive political systems. The main hero is a man named Gerd Weisler, a member of East Germany's notorious Stasi (secret police), and master interrogator who determines the specificity and overall direction of the film.
Weisler doesn't start the movie out as a hero, however. In the first few scenes, he is portrayed as a typical Stasi, brutally evil and shamelessly sadistic.
At the behest of the party boss, whose motives are shady and ever-so-slightly diabolical, he teams up with a fellow Stasi to spy on a prominent artist, Georg Dreyman, and his girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland, to glean information that is suppose to disprove Dreyman's loyalty to the DDR.
However, during the course of this surreptitious surveillance , we see Weisler reach a moral turning point as he comes to realize the cruel and corrupt nature of the Stasi cult, and begins to empathize not only with Dreyman and his girlfriend, but with all who suffer at the hands of a government with absolute power that is spiraling out of control.
Weisler develops a conscience. Once a complex man driven by a mix of hatred and selfishness, he becomes simplified towards the end: A compassionate man who has learned the price of human life.
The film, overall, maintains a sense of realism by not being overly sentimental nor overly exaggerated. The ending is quite moving yet leaves you wondering, to whom is this dedicated? Perhaps it's for the Weislers of that time who were able to show defiance in face of a powerful unrelenting system, or to men like Dreyman who made great leaps and put their lives on the line to fight for the overhaul of an unjust regime. Either way, the Lives of Others is a monument to the triumph of the human spirit. It is a must see film, Oscar well-deserved.
- 19.November.2011
- |
- by: jodyann
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
An astonishing film. Don't the length dissuade you - the movie flies. Taut yet fluid, the movie holds you from the first frame. Though "Pan's Labyrinth" is amazing, "The Lives of Others" truly deserves its Oscar. Even the film score is exquisite......
- 06.March.2011
- |
- by: Judith Raddue
- Judith Raddue rated this movie10/10Must See
An astonishing film. Don't the length dissuade you - the movie flies. Taut yet fluid, the movie holds you from the first frame. Though "Pan's Labyrinth" is amazing, "The Lives of Others" truly deserves its Oscar. Even the film score is exquisite... A true masterwork. Saw it in the theater, staying still until the last credit, as tears rolled down my face, moved by its deep humanity.
- 06.March.2011
- |
- by: Judith Raddue
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
Excellent Roles
The directing style in The Lives of Others is everything you would want in a conversational partner: constantly attentive, always listening, feeling out for detail, exploring but also maintaining a respectful reserve. The directing style was not...
- 30.December.2010
- |
- by: Brutal Ball
- Brutal Ball rated this movie9/10Amazing
Excellent Roles
The directing style in The Lives of Others is everything you would want in a conversational partner: constantly attentive, always listening, feeling out for detail, exploring but also maintaining a respectful reserve. The directing style was not obsessively stylistic though it was elegant. Ulrich Muhe did a phenomenal job; I ended up paying attention to every facial movement, looking for that one half-smile, for the subdued but pale. devastated expression, the reserved fear. He made me pay attention to him without excessively witty dialogue, crying, or shouting. His power came from understanding the subtlety and nuance of his role, which he delivered to a tee. I enjoyed this film immensely.
- 30.December.2010
- |
- by: Brutal Ball
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
Greg says this a very fine movie and a welcome change from the trash that has risen to the top of the Q as of late
- 21.December.2010
- |
- by: gdwilson
- gdwilson rated this movie0/10
Greg says this a very fine movie and a welcome change from the trash that has risen to the top of the Q as of late
- 21.December.2010
- |
- by: gdwilson
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
Cinematch recommended this one to me and it was dead on.Right from the opening scenes you realize you are in confident hands with this story. It reels you in and keeps you engaged. The viewer is confronted and forced to understand the lives of the...
- 17.September.2010
- |
- by: argonaut
- argonaut rated this movie0/10
Cinematch recommended this one to me and it was dead on.Right from the opening scenes you realize you are in confident hands with this story. It reels you in and keeps you engaged. The viewer is confronted and forced to understand the lives of the characters and then given huge insight which sweeps you away. This finely nuanced screenplay employees detailed dialogue and an intricate array of suggestive symbols unveiled in recurring motifs often displayed by the smallest elements. This film uncovers East Germany and its legions of demons in such an honest and unsparing manner. Well worth the time spent and the result is a graceful and uplifting cinematic experience so often missing these days.
- 17.September.2010
- |
- by: argonaut
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
Naturmystikk - Das Leben der Anderen - Die Sonate vom guten Menschen
- 15.March.2010
- |
- by: Streetlight of Amber
- Streetlight of Amber rated this movie10/10Must See
Naturmystikk - Das Leben der Anderen - Die Sonate vom guten Menschen
A fairytale.
- 15.March.2010
- |
- by: Streetlight of Amber
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
This film is an excellent example of truly great filmmaking. A solid charcter driven story, with both tense and touching moments. Superb direction, wonderfully paced and beautifully shot. I walked away an observer of a film about observing with a...
- 09.December.2009
- |
- by: ikiru
- ikiru rated this movie0/10
This film is an excellent example of truly great filmmaking. A solid charcter driven story, with both tense and touching moments. Superb direction, wonderfully paced and beautifully shot. I walked away an observer of a film about observing with a seemingly newly aquired keen sense of my surroundings. It left me feeling a bit uneasy at the thought of how far our privacy goes. Yet it also left me feeling elated at the thought of how wonderful it can be when strangers collide and touch each others lives in ways we never imagined. This film stuck with me long after it was over.
- 09.December.2009
- |
- by: ikiru
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
Worth the wait...
Although the film starts out very slow, it gains its interest later on. The film is a bit boring for the first hour or, but if you struggle through it, it will be worth the wait. With very human characters, very human relationships and a...
- 17.July.2009
- |
- by: Dean
- Dean rated this movie7/10Good
Worth the wait...
Although the film starts out very slow, it gains its interest later on. The film is a bit boring for the first hour or, but if you struggle through it, it will be worth the wait. With very human characters, very human relationships and a kevin-spacey looking character, this movie brings a very realistic, sentimental and gloomy feeling to this very real, complex life.
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
Truly awesome. Rarely do movies live up to their hype. This is an exception. Among other things anyone who says its worth giving up our liberties to have greater security should see this.
- 11.April.2009
- |
- by: ScottyT
- ScottyT rated this movie10/10Must See
Truly awesome. Rarely do movies live up to their hype. This is an exception. Among other things anyone who says its worth giving up our liberties to have greater security should see this.
- 11.April.2009
- |
- by: ScottyT
What did you think about this review?
Thank you for voting.
Abuse report sent
Report abuse
Close
|
Mood:
Plot:
Genres:
Time/Period:
Place:
Praise:
Attitudes:
Flag:
Does this gene fit The Lives of Others?
