The Lives of Others

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Tom F @RT55173143 3h A great idea for a story with some good bits and characters, but it comes across as a near miss for me. See more Cecilia T @CBCB2000 Feb 16 Historically precise with soulful acting and able to capture life in the eastern block. Definitely worth watching but has quite a slow start, def not an entertaining watch nor a light watch. See more Atilla T @Treviewd1nce Feb 1 What I don't understand is why would East Germans want to live like that even the people in power. Unless, they lived for surveillance and controlling others. It was their reality TV show. Basically, they were untalented in the arts. See more Luke S @RT56467052 Nov 5 Perfectly constructed. A masterpiece. See more Andy H @andyhh Sep 26 One of the best movies about the cold war, or rather life in the eastern block. It really illustrates the mundane bureaucracy of fascism (i.e. communism here) and how institutionalized is always is. But it also has one the characters arcs, of a character that doesnt do much, and one of the best movie endings of all time. See more Wayne K @RT88290232 Aug 14 One of the fascinating things about films made about the not-so-distant past is the fact that many of those who experienced it are still alive and can view the film not as piece of fiction, but as a window into what feels like a previous life. Such is the case with The Lives Of Others, a modern day The Conversation. Centring around a famous writer and an operation to eliminate him for all the wrong reasons, it creates a real sense of the time and place the events took place in, with Easten bloc grey buildings, monochromatic interiors and boxy, Soviet era vehicles. It’s a film that shows just how difficult it can be to exist in a world where every word you say can be held against you. We all worry about being watched and heard against our wishes, and if you’re expected to toe the party line but don’t believe in what they stand for, then you’re in very real danger. Ulrich Mühe, in one of his last big screen performances, gives us a man who starts out fanatically loyal and obedient to his cause, but gradually that conviction starts to slip, and he ends up being a force for good, despite the inherent risk. It’s a film that’s all about the subtleties and nuances of everyday life, the ways we communicate without saying a word, the things we say only with our eyes and body language. A masterclass in steadily building tension, realistic character arcs and trying to do the right thing in where such a concept is a death sentence. See more Read all reviews

The Lives of Others

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