The Lives of Others
The Lives of Others Image
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Metascore
89 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 39 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.0 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 177 Ratings

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  • Starring: Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Mühe
  • Summary: At once a political thriller and human drama, The Lives of Others begins in East Berlin in 1984, five years before Glasnost and the fall of the Berlin Wall and ultimately takes us to 1991, in what is now the reunited Germany. The film traces the gradual disillusionment of Captain Gerd Wiesler, a highly skilled officer who works for the Stasi, East Germany's all-powerful secret police. (Sony Pictures Classics)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    A powerful but quiet film, constructed of hidden thoughts and secret desires.
  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    100
    Lives is a best-foreign-film nominee competing in a year that at least three movies in this category are stronger than Oscar's best-picture contenders.
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Eric Hansen
    80
    Starts out dark and challenging then comes to a startlingly satisfying and warmly human conclusion that lingers long after the curtain has come down.
  4. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    50
    The Lives of Others wants us to see that the Stasi -- at least some of them -- were, like their Gestapo brethren, “just following orders." You can call that naive optimism on Donnersmarck's part, or historical revisionism of the sort duly lambasted by the current film version of Alan Bennett's "The History Boys." I, for one, tremble at the thought of what this young director does for an encore.

See all 39 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 64
  3. Negative: 2 out of 64
  1. DenizY
    10
    One of the best and most powerful films I've seen in a long time. Takes a highly interesting time and transforms it into a mere backdrop for an amazing performance by the actors. The only shameful part of the movie is that the English translations are pure crap, and close to nothing what is actually being said. I'm not talking about literal translation, I mean you get a completely different idea of what is going on if you don't speak German and have to follow the subtitles. PS - The LA Weekly critic has it's head up you know where... The director / writer of this movie was not trying to say the people in the Stasi were just following orders. He was trying to show they are humans too. In the beginning, the main character who works for the Stasi was 100% loyal to the State, and later becomes more human from spying on these people, realizing he has no life. Typical Americans and their hubris, overshadowing the true meaning of things. And that's coming from a fellow American.… Expand
  2. JudyT
    8
    Very good movie with a limited cast but quite powerful. Wish American movies could be this emotional and important.
  3. GeorgeR.
    7
    When critics shower a movie as liberally as they have with THE LIVES OF OTHERS it can only mean one of two things; it
  4. anonymous
    0
    Shame this film is wrecked by its obvious and heavy handed approach towards the iron curtain countries that it has turned into propaganda. once again, its a bit like "we love democracy so much, yeah!!!!!!"… Expand

See all 64 User Reviews

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