STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED

Classic

Excellent

Good

Fair

Tragic

POSTER ART

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FILM DETAILS

Certificate 15

Cast Ulrich Muhe Sebastian Koch Martina Gedeck

Directors Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Screenwriters Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Running Time 138 minutes

The Lives Of Others (15)

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Plot
East Berlin, 1984. State Security begins surveillance on playwright and, on the surface at least, good socialist Georg Dreyman (Koch). But as the operation progresses, Stasi Captain Wiesler (Mühe) discovers compassion in his stony soul.

Verdict
Already fêted, von Donnersmarck’s debut sets a closely focused, personal story against a more expansive backdrop of politics and power games — a moving, enlightening tale of recent times.


Reviewer: Alan Morrison

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