Anssi Vartiainen A Stasi trainer, Captain Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), is ordered to place a famous play writer Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his girlfriend Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck) under constant surveillance. The orders come from the highest echelons of the government, but Wiesler slowly begins to understand that the motives for them may not be as patriotic as they should. And at the same time the life of these two content souls begins to lure him in.Despite this film being just over a decade old, it feels much older. And in this case that works in the film's favour, giving it an authentic feel, like it could have happened right there and then. it gives the film weight, which is good, because Stasi and their human right violations are some of the darkest aspects of East German history. And yet, at the same time the film tries to shy away from black and white moralizing. Wiesler's character, despite being a high-ranking Stasi officer, is not a monster, does posses a soul and certainly has his sympathetic moments. This has apparently caused certain amount of controversy, some believing that Stasi and its legacy should be shown no mercy, no sympathy. Which seems uncomfortably harsh to me.Then again, I was only a few months old when the Berlin Wall came down. For me, this is history, something that happened in the distant past. It's funny for me to think that the events of this film took place when my parents were teenagers or young adults. The world has certainly changed since then.For me this film is more interesting than it is good. Certainly it's acted well and directing is superb, but it still seems more like a gateway into a subject, a conversation starter, rather than a great movie in its own right.

hcf-72795 "Das Leben der anderen" besides giving us a quite realistic picture on the former german democratic republic, focusing on both the dictaturial regime and the routine of the artists it suported and financed, reveals the existing dicotomy in every human being. Characters who were supposed to have an established behaviour according to their social positions and status, reveal unexpected behaviours. The main character struggles with ethical questions and almost risks its life to be faithfull to what he discovers to be the right thing to do troughout the storyline.It is all in all a very coherent, moving and revealing story.

cutie mia Honestly, judging by the cover, I did not expect much from this movie. Wow was I so wrong. It blew me away and more. The movie was crafted so seamlessly and is interwoven so beautifully. It is a drama of character development and the importance of staying true to what you believe in. This movie is inspiring, encourages to fight for what you believe in and is a total tear jerk-er. Will forever be one of favorites for a very long time.

Lauren For those who love history, this movie is for you. As a college student in the United States I only knew about the DDR from what I had learned in history classes and the little I learned from traveling in Europe. I could never fully imagine the effects that the wall and the Stasi had on the people of Germany. Das Leben der Anderen gives an outsider an inside look as to what East Germany was like. Wiesler is a Stasi captain who has been assigned to monitor Georg Dreymann, a German playwright who is trying to get support for his friend Jerska who has been blacklisted by the German government. Wiesler bugs Dreymann's apartment, and he is soon thrust into the world of the writer. Though this starts out as a simple mission, Wiesler begins to see how the government has affected these people. He begins to care about Dreymann, especially towards the end of the movie. One of the main arguments that is brought to attention in the film is that people never change. Obviously that is not true. The most significant change throughout the film is Wiesler. He doesn't view his job as a simple mission anymore. He has to protect the people that he has grown to care about, even if it ends up costing him his job. The film shows that people can change. Wielser is always associated with the color gray, a very neutral color. This shows that not everything can be black and white. One must dig deeper to see the true nature of people. It shows the darkness that was within Germany, parts that those who didn't live in the time may not fully understand until seeing the film. I think everyone should see this film because it brings history to life. There are so many layers to every aspect of this film. Each time you watch you can find something new that you didn't notice before. It truly makes you think.