Das Leben der Anderen
Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets.
In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.
The Lives of Others (2006) is a drama and thriller film directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, released on March 23, 2006 with a runtime of 2h 17m. It stars Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch and Ulrich Tukur. Viewers rate it 8.0 out of 10 across 4,246 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Lives of Others before you stream it.
Martina Gedeck
as Christa-Maria Sieland
Ulrich Mühe
as Gerd Wiesler
Sebastian Koch
as Georg Dreyman
Ulrich Tukur
as Anton Grubitz
Thomas Thieme
as Bruno Hempf
Hans-Uwe Bauer
as Paul Hauser
Volkmar Kleinert
as Albert Jerska
Matthias Brenner
as Karl Wallner
Charly Hübner
as Udo
Herbert Knaup
as Gregor Hessenstein
Bastian Trost
as Häftling 227
Marie Gruber
as Frau Meineke
Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, written by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, produced by Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg.
Average viewer score of 8.0/10 from 4,246 ratings.
Good guys facing tragic circumstances in an interesting period of history. Because you view the main characters lives from the perspective of the morally confused Stasi Officer investigating them, you receive more information than the characters have about their hopeless situation. This makes it all the more tragic to see the suffering they endure. Absolutely love this film. The only film so far to make my dad and…
Reviewed on January 13, 2024
This isn't so much a thriller as a glaring example of the corrupting power of the state, and of those charged with crafting and implementing it's policies. "Dreyman" (Sebastian Koch) is an East German playwright who is popular with the communist elite because his works manage to extol the virtues of their people's republic. The minister "Hempf" (Thomas Thieme) goes through all the supportive motions with him, but…
Reviewed on May 11, 2024
20 years later, still one of the great movies of the century. An amazing realistic take on the last days of the failing East German state at a time when the lessons from its deserved demise are being forgotten and propaganda is trying to repaint it as greatness. Interesting script, great performances and direction, deep and multi-layered message. A must watch.
Reviewed on May 20, 2026
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The Lives of Others (2006) is available to stream on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home and FlixFling. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Lives of Others (2006) includes Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur and Thomas Thieme. The film was directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Lives of Others was released on March 23, 2006 and runs for 2h 17m.
The Lives of Others (2006) holds an average rating of 8.0 out of 10 from 4,246 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and thriller films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Lives of Others trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
