The Lives of Others Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Digital Life DVD

The Lives of Others
starring: Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme
directed by: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

List Price: $19.94

Amazon.com's Price: $14.99

You Save: $4.95 (25%)
Prices subject to change.

Used Price: $8.69
Third Party New Price: $12.28

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Sony
EAN: 0043396170858
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 99
Release Date: August 21, 2007
Running Time: 138 minutes
Sales Rank: 980
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 2006

Digital Life
Related Items:

Digital Life
Editorial Review:

Product Description:
This critically-acclaimed, Oscar®-winning film (Best Foreign Language Film, 2006) is the erotic, emotionally-charged experience Lisa Schwarzbaum (Entertainment Weekly) calls 'a nail-biter of a thriller!' Before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, East Germany’s population was closely monitored by the State Secret Police (Stasi). Only a few citizens above suspicion, like renowned pro-Socialist playwright Georg Dreyman, were permitted to lead private lives. But when a corrupt government official falls for Georg’s stunning actress-girlfriend, Christa, an ambitious Stasi policeman is ordered to bug the writer’s apartment to gain incriminating evidence against the rival. Now, what the officer discovers is about to dramatically change their lives - as well as his - in this seductive political thriller Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) proclaims is 'the best kind of movie: one you can’t get out of your head.'

Amazon.com:

Nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, this is a first-rate thriller that, like Bertolucci's The Conformist and Coppola's The Conversation, opts for character development over car chases. The place is East Berlin, the year is 1984, and it all begins with a simple surveillance assignment: Capt. Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe in a restrained, yet deeply felt performance), a Stasi officer and a specialist in this kind of thing, has been assigned to keep an eye on Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch, Black Book), a respected playwright, and his actress girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck, Mostly Martha). Though Dreyman is known to associate with the occasional dissident, like blacklisted director Albert Jerska (Volkmar Kleinert), his record is spotless. Everything changes when Wiesler discovers that Minister Hempf (Thomas Thieme) has an ulterior motive in spying on this seemingly upright citizen. In other words, it's personal, and Wiesler's sympathies shift from the government to its people--or at least to this one particular person. That would be risky enough, but then Wiesler uses his privileged position to affect a change in Dreyman's life. The God-like move he makes may be minor and untraceable, but it will have major consequences for all concerned, including Wiesler himself. Writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck starts with a simple premise that becomes more complicated and emotionally involving as his assured debut unfolds. Though three epilogues is, arguably, two too many, The Lives of Others is always elegant, never confusing. It's class with feeling. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Beyond The Lives of Others

Films from Germany

Other Cold War Films

More Arthouse Selections

from Sony Pictures Classics

Stills from The Lives of Others (click for larger image)

Digital Life Reviews

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- You must see this film!!!
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 ... Read More

Rating:

- Somewhere, somehow, someone.....
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 ... Read More

Rating:

- Stasi Life
'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.

Rating:

- humanity overcomes a evil system
This movie is just fantastic. And on blu ray it shines and delivers
it's timeless story with even more clarity. The communist system with it's intolerance and inhumanity even in regards to the most minute aspect of peoples lives is depicted here with a knowing production. Each actor protrays their character in a light of reality and highly perfected skill.
The story is about a man whose whole life is based around violating others rights and hunting down enemies of the state with precision and robot like slavish duty. The secret police or stasi by 1984 was not the murder machine it was in previous decades yet it still killed the souls of it people and the robot like watcher only becomes a good man after he
spies on his intended targets. This movie won awards and delivers solid
drama and an very important story for the ages. The details need to be seen by the viewer but over 200 people took the ... Read More

Digital Life

Digital Life is all about
CD's DVD's Music Video Concerts Movies and Software

DVD : The Lives of Others
Digital Life Average Rating:

Digital Life is all about CD's DVD's Music Video Concerts Movies and Software

DVD : The Lives of Others Digital Life Average Rating:

Digital Life is all about
CD's DVD's Music Video Concerts Movies and Software

DVD : The Lives of Others
Digital Life Average Rating: