Parents' Guide to

The Lives of Others

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Art battles duty in bracing German spy thriller.

Movie R 2007 137 minutes
The Lives of Others Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 3 parent reviews

nastevenle69
nastevenle69 Adult
September 30, 2022
age 16+

Heartfelt, beautiful ensemble cast performence (esp. from late Ulrich Muhe and the stunning Martina Gedeck) - a cinematic period melodrama.

review pending Working on my latest and greatest honest canon of 100 favorite films. This film is included. For parents, two scenes might be problematic - one with malice featuring a prolonged sexual assault taking place in the back of a beaurocrat's limo. The other, without the malice - a shorter but rather explicit sex scene between a male lead and a prostitute. For kids of good maturing for their age 16/17+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
bronco7732
bronco7732 Parent of 16-year-old
November 10, 2009
age 16+

Amazing but mature

Amazing german spy film that is gripping as well as emotional binding. One of the best made movies of the decade. However, there i some explict sexual conduct with little nudity. There is also a quick scene of violence. But outside of this, I would recommend it to every person I know. Use discresion, but if your teen is mature enough, they should see it.

This title has:

Too much sex
Great messages
Great role models
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In 1984 East Berlin, Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), a captain in the East German Ministry for State Security, is assigned to observe playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and look for proof that he's not as loyal as he seems. In the course of his surveillance, Wiesler discovers that Dreyman's live-in actress girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck), is cheating on him with the odious Minister Bruno Hempf (Thomas Thieme), who threatens to ruin her career if she doesn't submit to him. Though Wiesler's take on the situation begins to diverge from his superiors' as his sympathy for the couple grows, he knows how to cover his tracks. But he soon finds himself at the center of a swirl of deception and develops a relationship of sorts with Christa-Maria. Wiesler doesn't so much doubt his previous convictions -- that his work is crucial in maintaining order -- as rationalize his new belief. To boil it down to the most basic level: Art transforms him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Taut and intelligent, The Lives of Others was the German nominee for 2007's Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how a government like the one in the movie -- characterized by surveillance and lack of free speech -- affects its citizens. How do the characters' surroundings mirror their internal states? How does Wiesler change as he listens to life in Christa-Maria and Georg's apartment, and how can you tell his attitude is shifting?

Movie Details

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