In the former East Germany, no-one was above suspicion. Like George Orwell s vision of the future come to life, art and people and relationships were monitored obsessively, The Lives Of Others captures not only the paranoia and danger inherent in such a world, but also expresses hope that even in the most desperate situations, people can make a difference.The story of The Lives Of Others unfolds mostly through the eyes of a secret service agent who s been given the task of spying on an artistic couple who ve attracted the attention of the Minister of Culture. Little by little, he s drawn into their lives even as we re drawn into his, and as he loses his faith in the government, he must decide whether or not to try to hide the transgressions of those he s watching. As the physical danger and emotional cost mounts, it s impossible not to become utterly engrossed, intelligent and well-written, The Lives Of Others is also deeply moving.It s rare to find a film that really deserves its rave...

#what a directoral debut! how precious, but tenuous, our freedom is (2008-11-03) an authentic portrayal of the stasi spy system in Eastern Germany which prevailed before the collapse of the Berlin wall and which conscripted millions of its citizens to spy on each other and everyone else. an intimate poignant representation via the its central characters, the film needs to be slow in order to capture the oppressive mood, and what developes subsequently. . . . . but it never feels laboured . remember that it is the director s first film which makes it even more significant.

#Modern History Brought to Life (2008-10-24) I can t rate this film highly enough. It s chilling because the background to the fictional characters of the GDR and the Stasi was a reality until the fall of the Berlin Wall and is part of Modern European History. Particularly moving is the character of Wiesler, a sad and lonely man, moved by a single piece of music to become a human being instead of simply a cypher. My only regret is my inability to speak German beyond a very few words, thus having to rely on subtitles!Wonderful.

#Love it (2008-10-11) i have just watched this film for the second time and it is even better than i remembered. Atmospheric, eveoctive of the time and gripping - cannot reccomend it enough

#A masterpiece (2008-09-12) What can I say. Very rarely do I come across a film which actually makes a connection with my heart as well as my brain. It exposed the brutality and ruthlessness of the GDR and its secret police force, the Stasi, whilst subtley exposing the delicate and fragile lives of its citizens, as well as one of its operatives and his transition from enforcer to dissident. Bravo.

#Great movie but not a masterpiece (2008-08-10) The Lives of Others is a great movie, but I can t rate it a masterpiece. On the plus side, the director has a total command of the medium, he knows how to make a suspenseful, thoughtful, entertaining movie, that holds the interest of the audience even at a running time that exceeds 2 hours. What s more, the acting is uniformly extraordinary. Let s talk now about the main problems I see with this film. The emotional heart of the movie is when the Stasi officer in charge of spying the playwright and his girlfriend, a very tough and expe...

The riveting subject of Downfall is nothing less than the disintegration of Adolph Hitler in mind, body, and soul. A 2005 Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film, this German historical drama stars Bruno Ganz as Hitler, whose psychic meltdown is depicted in sobering detail, suggesting a fallen, pathetic dictator on the verge on insanity, resorting to suicide (along with Eva Braun and Joseph and Magda Goebbels) as his Nazi empire burns amidst chaos in mid-1945. While staging most of the film in the claustrophobic bunker where Hitler spent his final days, director Oliver Hirschbiegel dares to show the gentler human side of der Fuehrer, as opposed to the pure embodiment of evil so familiar from many other Nazi-era dramas. This balanced portrayal does not inspire sympathy, however: We simply see the complexity of Hitler s character in the greater context of his inevitable downfall, and a more realistic (and therefore more horrifying) biographical portrait of madness on both ep...

#brilliantly harrowing (2008-11-21) A wonderful film, Ganz is simply suberb - the rest of the cast perform fantastically too. Against all odds the filmmakers have managed to pull off the tricky task off producing a non-judgmental, sympathetic yet critical, almost documentary style and, above all, accurate film following to final days of the various inhabitants of Hitlers bunker The insanity of the Fuhrers final days is captured in harrowing detail from several perspectives, this a film that should be watched by anyone with an interest in World War II.

#Stifling and claustrophobic - a deeply shocking yet superb film (2008-10-20) A simply faultless production and Ganz is without doubt the best actor to ever play role of Hitler. The stifling claustrophobic atmosphere the director has created in this film will always haunt you. Just buy it and watch it, you ll never ever forget it.

#Excellent (2008-10-17) A thoroughly convincing portrayal of the Fall of Berlin. A very thought provoking and at times shocking film. Superb

#Disturbing film, reminder that humans can be dangerous animals (2008-10-17) Oddly enough what brought this film to my attention was a short clip from the film that was over dubbed with funny dilalogue about the wrong motorbike (well worth a look at on U-tube)This as I say took my interest about the original film and have to say a must see film. You can feel the venom ooze through the film, I can only say thank goodness the nazis never won the war, truly scary people. Pick a time when you can be undisturbed watch it, and be disturbed.

#One of the bravest and greatest movies to come out of Germany (2008-10-14) Der Untergang (or Downfall in translation) is a truly amazing piece of cinema. Telling the last few weeks of Hitler s life in the Führerbunker under Berlin at the end of the war, this is a very brave piece of work and Bruno Ganz s portrail of Hitler is a very important one. Ganz manages to show the very important fact that Hitler genuinely believed he was acting for the best and that his deeds were for the good of the world - which Ganz manages to get absolutely perfectly balanced. My favourite performance c...