the lives of others

Summary: At once a political thriller and human drama, The Lives of Others begins in East Berlin in 1984, five years before Glasnost and the fall of the Berlin Wall and ultimately takes us to 1991, in what is now the reunited Germany. You never know, from one moment to the next, what course any of the characters will choose. 17+ COMMON SENSE. This is France. Lindsay Jones is an award-winning journalist based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Lindsay Jones The Atavist Magazine Apr 2021 40 min. Bookseller: Want it gift-wrapped? The film is built "on layers of emotional texture", wrote Stephanie Zacharek in Salon online magazine. The Lives of Others cost US$2 million[3] and grossed more than US$77 million worldwide as of November 2007[update]. Use the HTML below. In 1983 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler, doubting that a famous playwright is loyal to the Communist Party, receives approval to spy on the man and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Twitter Facebook Link Print. Art battles duty in bracing German spy thriller. I think this is the first German movie which shows this system as it used to be (which has been confirmed by several contemporary witnesses) and not turns it and its people into comedy though there have been several good ones, of course. With Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur. But why? The website's critical consensus states, "Unlike more traditional spy films, The Lives of Others doesn't sacrifice character for cloak and dagger chases, and the performances (notably that by the late Ulrich Muhe) stay with you". In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives. Written by Grubitz informs Wiesler that the investigation is over and so is Wiesler's career: His remaining years with the agency will be in Department M, a dead-end position for disgraced agents. The Lives of Others on Apple Podcasts. Livid at being rejected by Sieland, Hempf orders Grubitz to arrest her. At the same time, the screenplay was published by Suhrkamp Verlag. A loyal agent for the Stasi spies on a playwright and his actress girlfriend. Grubitz and the Stasi return to Dreyman's apartment. Still today, I am moved deeply by the powerful portrayal of human being pitted against human being solely because they have no understanding of each others’ lives. [7], In a 2016 BBC poll, critics voted the film the 32nd greatest since 2000. "[22] An article in First Things makes a philosophical argument in defense of Wiesler's transformation. Doctors Jo Wilson, April Kepner, and Andrew DeLuca share the episodes they think are essential to understanding their characters. The once rigid Stasi officer begins to intervene in their lives, in a positive way, protecting them whenever possible. His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie. The Lives of Others is a story about transformation and … [8], The film was received with widespread acclaim. The Lives of Others Photos. The movie "convincingly demonstrates that when done right, moral and political quandaries can be the most intensely dramatic dilemmas of all. Corliss praised the film as a "poignant, unsettling thriller. [2], Released 17 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, marking the end of the East German socialist state, it was the first notable drama film about the subject after a series of comedies such as Good Bye, Lenin! In 1984 East Germany, Stasi Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), code name HGW XX/7, is ordered to spy on the playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch), who had so far escaped state scrutiny due to his Communist views and international recognition. [28], The Europe List, the largest survey on European culture established that the top three films in European culture are, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands and Sweden had the film at number 1. Dreyman hides the typewriter under a floorboard of his apartment but is seen by Sieland. [40] Mühe's former wife denied the claims, although 254 pages' worth of government records detailed her activities. "[17] William F. Buckley, Jr. wrote in his syndicated column that after the film was over, "I turned to my companion and said, 'I think that is the best movie I ever saw. "[7], Donnersmarck teamed up with cinematographer Hagen Bogdanski to bring the story to life. The film opens in East Berlin in 1984 with a sequence that alternates scenes from an interrogation with scenes from a training class for aspiring officers of the Stasi, or secret police. Perhaps I was just won over sentimentally, because of the seductive mass of details which look like they were lifted from my own past between the total ban of my work in 1965 and denaturalisation in 1976. Each month, our documentary strand provides a unique insight into modern life, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. "[12][13], Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four stars, describing it as "a powerful but quiet film, constructed of hidden thoughts and secret desires. Preferably. He said the idea for the film came to him when he was trying to come up with a scenario for a film class. “The Lives of Others” is haunted by a piece of music called “Sonata for a Good Man,” composed for the film by Gabriel Yared and, at the same time, … She has written for The Globe and Mail, Topic, The Walrus, and Vice. What that shows is what life can be with a government that knew as much as the Stasi did then. A tragic love story set in East Berlin with the backdrop of an undercover Stasi controlled culture. Film Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. Wiesler learns that Dreyman has been put under surveillance at the request of the Minister of Culture, Bruno Hempf (Thomas Thieme), who covets Dreyman's girlfriend, actress Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck). THE LIVES OF OTHERS is a human drama about the ability of human beings to do the right thing, no matter how far they have gone down the wrong path. Taut and intelligent, The Lives of Others was the German nominee for 2007's Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. A few days later, Dreyman's article is published, angering the East German authorities. In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives. Two years later, Wiesler passes a bookstore window display promoting Dreyman's new novel, Sonate vom Guten Menschen. Deeply moved, Wiesler buys the book. After that a whole new world begins.My personal opinion - though it doesn't count that much - is that this one a an absolute Must See. Everything was happening inside, in private". The Lives of Others is a sophisticated meditation on suffering that invites empathy for characters who embrace violent ideologies as a result of injustice without ever vindicating the horrific violence they commit. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Unaware of this, Sieland runs to the street in despair and right into the path of a truck. Everybody should get that now. She claims that it was not possible for a Stasi operative to have hidden information from superiors because Stasi employees themselves were watched and almost always operated in teams. The Lives of Others. [25] Anna Funder, the author of the book Stasiland, in a review for The Guardian called The Lives of Others a "superb film" despite not being true to reality. Half a century later, their children made a shocking discovery. Gerd Wiesler is an officer with the Stasi, the East German secret police. (2006) Stream and Watch Online. As he goes through the files, he is confused by the large amount of contradictory information, but as he reaches the final report and sees a fingerprint in red ink, he realises that the officer in charge of his surveillance – Stasi officer HGW XX/7 – had concealed his activities, including his authorship of the suicide article, and also removed the typewriter from his apartment. When Grubitz removes the floor however, the typewriter is gone – Wiesler having removed it before the search team arrived. It also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language and European Film Award for Best Film, while was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend. The film was released in Germany on 23 March 2006. Permalink. The Lives of Others is set in 1984 East Berlin, five years before Gorbachevs “glasnost” policies, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Another But I'd like to see it dubbed so it had a wider audience. RSVP now for May 11: TV costume designers for ‘Genius: Aretha,’ ‘The Queen’s Gambit,’ ‘Small Axe,’ ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ ‘The Undoing’ join Gold Derby’s Meet the Btl Experts series, ‘Undine’ Trailer: Paula Beer Leads Christian Petzold’s Berlin-Set Romance, Right-Wing Politicians Cheer German Actors’ Attack on Corona Measures, Top 100 Movies as Rated by Women on IMDb in 2016, The Top 200 Movies as Rated by Women on IMDb in 2018, The Best Foreign Language Thriller (1996-2016), The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, I do not understand the "telephone joke" that Grubitz tells in the MfS cafeteria. Knabe objected to "making the Stasi man into a hero" and tried to persuade Donnersmarck to change the film. Titled The Lives of Others, the album is the group’s 11th full-length release, and serves as the follow-up to 2015’s Porridge & Hotsauce. Gerd Wiesler is an officer with the Stasi, the East German secret police. The Minister of Culture agrees but only later does Wiesler learn that the Minister sees Dreyman as a rival and lusts after his partner Christa-Maria. That is what did happen in East Germany. The Lives of Others is at once a political thriller and a human drama. Captain Gerd Wiesler: No, it's for me. When an open-minded Jewish librarian and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor, and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp. In Hein's words, "the movie does not depict the 1980s in the GDR", but is a "scary tale taking place in a fantasy land, comparable to Tolkien's Middle-earth."[27]. "[37] On 16 July 2013, American novelist and frequent cable news commentator Brad Thor stated "At what point did the Obama administration acquire the rights to reenact The Lives of Others? [9] It also has a score of 89 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 39 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Hempf tells him that he had been under full surveillance in 1984. As happened in the movie. Yes! Eventually, Wiesler's activities catch up to him and while there is no proof of wrongdoing, he finds himself in menial jobs - until the unbelievable happens. The plot is about the monitoring of East Berlin residents by agents of the Stasi, East Germany's secret police. The Lives of Others Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. It stars Ulrich Mühe as Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler, Ulrich Tukur as his superior Anton Grubitz, Sebastian Koch as the playwright Georg Dreyman, and Martina Gedeck as Dreyman's lover, a prominent actress named Christa-Maria Sieland. "[14] A. O. Scott, reviewing the film in The New York Times, wrote that Lives is well-plotted, and added, "The suspense comes not only from the structure and pacing of the scenes, but also, more deeply, from the sense that even in an oppressive society, individuals are burdened with free will. [41], 2006 German film by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, This article is about the German film. Two years later, Hempf and Dreyman meet while attending a performance of Dreyman's play. When asked if he would like the book gift-wrapped, Wiesler replies, "No, it's for me. The Lives of Others is a 2006 German drama film written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck marking his feature film debut. [31], In September 2014, 43 members of the Israeli elite clandestine Unit 8200 wrote a letter to Israel's prime minister and army chief, refusing further service and claiming Israel made "no distinction between Palestinians who are and are not involved in violence" and that information collected "harms innocent people." The film centers on the East German Ministry for State Security, which is a secret police known as the Stasi, created by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in an attempt to maintain its power and protect the survival of Socialism in East Berlin. However, in Hein's opinion the highly dramatized events of the movie bear little resemblance to his life experience, which is why he asked Donnersmarck to delete his name from the credits. Help you find what 's trending and what 's worth your time by Chance all Photos ( 31 ) Lives... Knabe objected to `` making the Stasi, the typewriter and his team the... 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