Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

An East German surveillance officer gets too involved with his suspect.

The character-driven drama at the heart of the movie is quite good, and everything's beautifully shot. But a lot of the movie is tediously political - some of that's unfortunately necessary to set the scene, and some of it's just annoying to the point where it's almost not worth sitting through to get to the good bits. Communism was a bad thing? You don't say!

Concept: B
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: A
Pacing: show more C
Cinematography: A
Special effects/design: A
Acting: B
Music: B

Enjoyment: B

GPA: 3.2/4 show less

Moving character film of state control in East Germany.
This idiot is paid to write: http://jeffsharlet.blogspot.com/2007/02/florian-henckel-von-donnersmarck-lives.h...
The anon commenter corrects him well: "art may be politically impotent but also profoundly humanising, a means of sustaining a sense of empathy and compassion in the hope that "good times" will come again."

Experience the captivating drama of "The Lives of Others" on DVD. Directed by Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck, this movie features Ulrich Muehe and Martina Gedeck in a thrilling story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With a rating of R, this standard edition DVD includes subtitles in English, French, and Spanish, making it accessible to a wider audience. The DVD is in the unit type of unit and was released in 2007 by Wedeman & Berg. This drama genre movie is perfect for movie show more lovers who enjoy thought-provoking stories. show less

Region 1 (NTSC)