Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsDas Leben der Anderen (2006) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 25 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 13) |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (written by)
Release Date:
23 March 2006 (Germany) more
Tagline:
Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets
Plot:
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 60 wins & 21 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(56 articles)
Is Avatar One of the Top 100 Movies of the Decade?
(From FilmJunk. 11 November 2009, 6:23 AM, PST)
Exclusive: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck May Direct The Tourist After All
(From Movieline. 9 November 2009, 7:45 AM, PST)
User Comments:
A wonderful film that deserves a wide audience more (296 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Martina Gedeck | ... | Christa-Maria Sieland | |
| Ulrich Mühe | ... | Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler | |
| Sebastian Koch | ... | Georg Dreyman | |
| Ulrich Tukur | ... | Oberstleutnant Anton Grubitz | |
| Thomas Thieme | ... | Minister Bruno Hempf | |
| Hans-Uwe Bauer | ... | Paul Hauser | |
| Volkmar Kleinert | ... | Albert Jerska | |
| Matthias Brenner | ... | Karl Wallner | |
| Charly Hübner | ... | Udo | |
| Herbert Knaup | ... | Gregor Hessenstein | |
| Bastian Trost | ... | Häftling 227 | |
| Marie Gruber | ... | Frau Meineke | |
| Volker Michalowski | ... | Schriftexperte (as Zack Volker Michalowski) | |
| Werner Daehn | ... | Einsatzleiter in Uniform | |
| Martin Brambach | ... | Einsatzleiter Meyer |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
The Lives of Others (UK) (USA)
Das Leben der Anderen - Die Sonate vom guten Menschen (Germany) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for some sexuality/nudity.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
137 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Germany:12 | Czech Republic:12 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-11 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Singapore:M18 | Hong Kong:IIB | France:Unrated | Australia:MA | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Italy:T | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:U | Spain:7 | Brazil:12 | New Zealand:M | India:A | Norway:11
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The German DVD of this film was recalled due to some statements director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck made in his audio commentary about the alleged activities of politician Gregor Gysi and actress Jenny Gröllmann as in-official agents (IM) for the "Staatssicherheit" (secret police of former East Germany). New and old revisions of the DVD can be distinguished by a marking on the back spine (old retail/rental: Z4/Z4R, new retail/rental: Z4A/Z4S). more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: When Dreyman finds Wiesler in the end, the cars in the background are current, not from 1991. more
Quotes:
Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler:
Madam?
Christa-Maria Sieland:
Go away. I want to be alone.
Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler:
Madam Sieland?
Christa-Maria Sieland:
Do we know each other?
Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler:
You don't know me, but I know you. Many people love you for who you are.
Christa-Maria Sieland:
Actors are never "who they are."
Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler:
You are. I've seen you on stage. You were more who you are than you are now.
Christa-Maria Sieland:
So you know what I'm like.
Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler:
I'm your audience.
Christa-Maria Sieland:
I have to go.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2007) (TV) more
FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?A Note Regarding Spoilers
I do not understand the "telephone joke" that Grubitz tells in the MfS cafeteria
more
more (296 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Das Leben der Anderen (2006) moreRecommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| El diputado | Die Stille nach dem Schuß | Die Blechtrommel | Edvard Munch | Boy A |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Drama section |
| IMDb Germany section | Add this title to MyMovies |













I saw this film in its North American premiere in a packed theater at the Toronto Int'l Film Festival this past week and was pleased to be part of a standing ovation at the end for the director and star, who were both on hand.
"The Lives of Others," set in East Germany not long before the fall of the Berlin Wall, tells the moving story of a police investigator forced to confront himself and the work he does. In a society poisoned by secrecy, fear and the abuse of power, a number of the movie's characters -- artists, actors, writers -- must look deep inside and decide what they are made of; none more so than the investigator.
This is a movie that took me to a place and time that felt very authentic, for a tale that was very satisfying.
Ulrich Muhe, who plays the investigator, is mesmerizing, and the young director is to be applauded for this, his first full-length film. Some have compared "The Lives of Others" to Coppola's "The Conversation" but the two have completely different story arcs and are only superficially similar.
Both my companion and I felt this was our favorite of the six films we had a chance to see at the festival.