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. System Requirements:Run Time: 138 Mins. Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: FOREIGN/LATIN Rating: R UPC: 043396209480 Manufacturer No: 20948

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20788 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2007-08-21
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: German
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 138 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

gradifying
"The Lives of Others" was the best foreign language film I have seen in a long time. Directed and written by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (in his debut, no less) and starring Ulrich Muhe, "The Lives of Others" is a quiet thriller set in the former Soviet Sector of East Berlin. Muhe, who plays a Stasi Captain assigned to monitor a would-be subversive playright(Sebastian Koch) and his live-in girlfriend (Martina Gedeck) via audio bug from their attic. Muhe, who soon discovers his assignment is less than as it seems, aids an unknowing Koch and Gedeck by creating mis-information to feed to his superiors, allowing the two below to freely construct a magazine article, politically devastating to the East. I'll try not to give away anymore, but the ending has one of the most moving double entendres the movies have to offer. (This includes all Bond films, by the way.)

Very good movie
This movie deserves the oscar! This is a character study on the level of "The Conversation" Like some of the reviews say, the movie does take a while to get going but it's suppose to be that way. Others have criticized the subtitles - not a problem, the acting is so well done you can read the actors faces and body language and you know what's going on. As for the realism - I don't know - but I think it makes for a great movie!! If you love movies this is a must see.

Movie: 4.5/5 Picture Quality: 3.75~4.75/5 Sound Quality: 4/5 Extras: 2.25/5
Title: The Lives of Others
Version: U.S.A / Sony Pictures / Region-A
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50
Running time: 2:17:36
Movie size: 36,23 GB
Disc size: 40,97 GB
Total bit rate: 35.10 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 27.84 Mbps

LPCM 5.1 4608Kbps 16-bit German
DD AC3 5.1 640Kbps German

Subtitles: English / English SDH / Spanish / French

#Director Commentary
#Interview
#Featurette
Interview with the Director (30 mins - SD)
The Making of The Lives of Others (20 mins - SD)
#Deleted Scenes (9 mins - SD)
#Trailers (HD)