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The Lives of Others

Original title: Das Leben der Anderen
  • 2006
  • 14A
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
419K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
688
289
Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, and Ulrich Mühe in The Lives of Others (2006)
Political ThrillerPsychological DramaSpyDramaMysteryThriller

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.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.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.

  • Director
    • Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
  • Writer
    • Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
  • Stars
    • Ulrich Mühe
    • Martina Gedeck
    • Sebastian Koch
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.4/10
    419K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    688
    289
    • Director
      • Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
    • Writer
      • Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
    • Stars
      • Ulrich Mühe
      • Martina Gedeck
      • Sebastian Koch
    • 597User reviews
    • 134Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #60
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 80 wins & 38 nominations total

    Photos78

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    Top cast40

    Edit
    Ulrich Mühe
    Ulrich Mühe
    • Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler
    Martina Gedeck
    Martina Gedeck
    • Christa-Maria Sieland
    Sebastian Koch
    Sebastian Koch
    • Georg Dreyman
    Ulrich Tukur
    Ulrich Tukur
    • Oberstleutnant Anton Grubitz
    Thomas Thieme
    • Minister Bruno Hempf
    Hans-Uwe Bauer
    • Paul Hauser
    Volkmar Kleinert
    Volkmar Kleinert
    • Albert Jerska
    Matthias Brenner
    Matthias Brenner
    • Karl Wallner
    Charly Hübner
    Charly Hübner
    • Udo
    Herbert Knaup
    Herbert Knaup
    • Gregor Hessenstein
    Bastian Trost
    • Häftling 227
    Marie Gruber
    Marie Gruber
    • Frau Meineke
    Volker Zack
    Volker Zack
    • Schriftexperte
    • (as Zack Volker Michalowski)
    Werner Daehn
    Werner Daehn
    • Einsatzleiter in Uniform
    Martin Brambach
    Martin Brambach
    • Einsatzleiter Meyer
    Hubertus Hartmann
    • Egon Schwalber
    Thomas Arnold
    Thomas Arnold
    • Nowack
    Hinnerk Schönemann
    Hinnerk Schönemann
    • Unterleutnant Axel Stigler
    • Director
      • Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
    • Writer
      • Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      All the listening/recording props in the film are actual Stasi equipment on loan from museums and collectors. The props master had spent two years in a Stasi prison, and insisted upon absolute authenticity, down to the machine used to steam-open up to 600 letters per hour.
    • Goofs
      Secretary Hempf's car is a 1980s stretch version of a Volvo 264. But all the interior scenes are shot using a Mercedes Benz S-Class Pullmann from the time of the film production. In a short clip the Mercedes is also used for an exterior shot, when Grubitz enters the car outside the ministry building.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Buchverkäufer: 29.80. Would you like it gift wrapped?

      Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler: No. It's for me.

    • Alternate versions
      The US version features a written prologue in English, explaining the historical context of the film.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Best Films of 2006 (2006)
    • Soundtracks
      Ich Wurde Wenn Ich Wusste, Dass Ich Konnte
      Performed by 4PS

      Lyrics By Kurt Demmler

      Music By Joachim-Franz Bartzsch

      Published By Edition Air Franz

      (P) 2007 Colosseum Music Entertainment GmbH, Licensed From Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Germany) GmbH

    User reviews597

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10

    The ghost of authoritarian regimes

    I've been taking German lessons for about 2 months now, and since movies were great in helping me learn English language I'm always looking for German films to watch (as well as German music to listen to) in order to educate my ears.

    Anyway, I went to this place where I get all sort of rare movies and this one caught my attention... and I had no idea it got the Oscar for foreign language film this year! So I watched it without prejudice and... what did I find? A MASTERPIECE! This is the kind of movie that gets your attention from the first moment, and makes you interested in understanding the characters' psyche, which is very varied: you have the idealistic good guys, the idealistic bad guys, the people that broad their minds understanding that no political dogma is better than individual freedom, etc. And even though the movie has very tough moments it is all so well done and presented with such a good taste that in the end you feel some sort of relieved.

    In this present day, when the ghost of authoritarian regimes still fly over our heads (in my country we're getting closer and closer to that reality), this movie will make you think about how important love, life and freedom are.

    A must see!
    • Hprog
    • Mar 10, 2007
    • Permalink

    Top picks

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    FAQ4

    • Is this movie based on a book?
    • I do not understand the "telephone joke" that Grubitz tells in the MfS cafeteria
    • How does Dreyman know when he sees the red thumb print on his file that Wiesler saved him?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 23, 2006 (Canada)
    • Countries of origin
      • Germany
      • France
    • Official site
      • Official site (United States)
    • Language
      • German
    • Also known as
      • La vie des autres
    • Filming locations
      • Gedenkstätte Hohenschönhausen, Hohenschönhausen, Berlin, Germany
    • Production companies
      • Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion
      • Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)
      • ARTE
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $11,286,112
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $223,000
      • Feb 11, 2007
    • Gross worldwide
      • $77,672,685
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 17 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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