The Lives of Others (2006)

[tvted]

Any have or seen a review of THE LIVES OF OTHERS yet?

ted

[Josh]

I didn't enjoy the movie itself. It just seemed to be very slow and never really built to anything. But if you've seen this movie before, and enjoyed it, you're going to love this Blu-ray release. Video is not perfect - there are plenty of issues with the master and the picture can appear soft at times. Its definitely a step up, though. Audio is, of course, awesome with the PCM track, but this movie never really utilizes surround sound and is very front heavy.

If you are a fan of this film, or foreign films in general, definitely pick up this release. If you've never seen it, and don't like artsy foreign films, don't even bother.

[Banjo]

Ulrich Mühe who played Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler in the movie died a few weeks ago from stomach cancer.

May he rest in peace.

[pro-bassoonist]

I support BLU primarily (and I mean 90%) because of the attention the BLU studios seem to be paying to foreign cinema and the potential there is with distribs such as Miramax (The Colors Trilogy should be the event of the year when it happens).

So, this being said, The Lives of Others is an automatic buy for me and THE MOST exciting BLU release since Almodovar's Volver.

I do not care about the Pirates, Spidermans, and the likes...

Ciao,
Pro-B

[tvted]

Thanks folks,
I guess I should have specifically said with respect to technical details.

Josh,
Slow? I guess you haven't seen WAVELENGTH by Micahel Snow? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavelength_%281966_film%29
One of my faves. I ain't too speedy meself.
Thanks for the PQ/AQ comments though.

pro-bassoonist,
Though I don't share your feelings with respect to PIRATES et al, VOLVER is on my shelf and I've been wanting to purchase LIVES for a while. I share your desire for non-Hollywood though, I lean toward the non-theatrical (as opposed to cinematic) myself.

Satyajit-Ray, Ozu, - bring em on.

ted

[ryoohki]

I have more import movie in my TOP 10 than US one... I'am getting Lives of Others and Black Book on release for sure..

[Josh]

Originally Posted by tvted

Josh,
Slow? I guess you haven't seen WAVELENGTH by Micahel Snow? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavelength_%281966_film%29
One of my faves. I ain't too speedy meself.
Thanks for the PQ/AQ comments though.

No, at it appears I may not want to either

I just felt the film didn't have enough tension or build-up. Things just happened and I really didn't care as to why. It might be my taste, though. Some Japanese films I just can't watch because there is just too much romance. I know that is a cultural thing, but I just can't get used to it.

I knew PQ wasn't going to be great as soon as I saw a dust particle on the opening credits (where the guard is walking down the dark hallway going to the interrogation room). The film just wasn't sharp, and didn't want to pop. Its a good presentation, just nothing that will make you go "wow".

AQ was strong, as usual for a PCM track, but the soundstage was very front heavy. Its mostly dialog, so very little is happening in the background.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by tvted

T

pro-bassoonist,
Though I don't share your feelings with respect to PIRATES et al, VOLVER is on my shelf and I've been wanting to purchase LIVES for a while. I share your desire for non-Hollywood though, I lean toward the non-theatrical (as opposed to cinematic) myself.

Satyajit-Ray, Ozu, - bring em on.

ted

I totally understand, no prob. I am just a bit older I suppose than the average Blu supporter who is currently more interested in films that test the technical muscle of the format. I completely understand that films such as the Pirates, Spiderman, The Fifth Element, etc are more ""exciting" in a way. I understand all that!!

Yet, I and others are more easily "wow"-ed by a stellar presentation of a dialog-driven film than the latest PCM-impressive Blockbuster hit.

As I said, the reason I chose the BLU camp is because I see more potential here for foreign/arthouse cinema to become available on Hi-Def!!

Ciao,
Pro-B

[The_Basterd]

I refused to see this film in theaters since it beat Pan's Labyrinth at the Academy Awards. I never would have thought in my wildest dreams El laberinto del fauno would lose the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. My hate for it grew, so I never even watched it when it came to DVD/Blu-Ray.

Now I am finally over it and from what I read it's a very good film.

Is The Lives of Others Blu-ray worth a Blind Buy?

[SleeperAgent]

Originally Posted by The_Basterd

I refused to see this film in theaters since it beat Pan's Labyrinth at the Academy Awards. I never would have thought in my wildest dreams El laberinto del fauno would lose the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. My hate for it grew, so I never watched it when it came to DVD/Blu-Ray.

Now I am finally over it and from what I read it's a very good film.

Is The Lives of Others Blu-ray worth a Blind Buy?

Most definitely. It's a powerful film.

[ewsjr]

I would grab it as soon as you can. This is a great, great film with one of the best last lines in motion picture history. Deserved that oscar and it's a film you will never get tired of watching. The blu-ray is very nice but the dvd is also excellent if you want to save some money.

[bsweetness]

Without a doubt yes. I too was shocked when it won best picture over Pan's Labyrinth and thought there was no way it could be the better film.

Then I watched it and found that it was indeed the better film, which I didn't expect at all. I started the movie with a grudge against it, but that grudge was severely misplaced.

[jhiggy23]

Not a single person on this site would disagree that this is an absolute must own. Several major critics listed it as the best film of the 2000s, another critic listed it as the best film of the past 25 years. It makes Pan's Labyrinth look like a C movie, it's that good.

[Trogdor2010]

Originally Posted by The_Basterd

I refused to see this film in theaters since it beat Pan's Labyrinth at the Academy Awards. I never would have thought in my wildest dreams El laberinto del fauno would lose the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. My hate for it grew, so I never watched it when it came to DVD/Blu-Ray.

Now I am finally over it and from what I read it's a very good film.

Is The Lives of Others Blu-ray worth a Blind Buy?

If you ever watched Enemy of the State, it's idea is similar to it, but without all the explosions, Will Smith and MTV editing.

The Lives of Others talks about what the East German government is spying on people, when at the end of it's communism ran government and near the time of the Berlin wall. The film was loved by many, including the right wingers that would have hated it, even Rush Limbaugh himself said he loved it. I thought it was worth seeing it, but Sebastian Koch was the reason to see it.

[RampageIceman]

IDK if it has much replay value, personally I would rent it as it is something you should for sure see

[ShiroHell99]

This bluray has the extras subtitled in Spanish?

[The Great Owl]

I revisited this on a whim two nights ago. BD # 481? Whoa...



In 1984 East Germany, well before the era of Glasnost and the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Stasi secret police maintain strict control, infiltrating the populace by way of a vast network of citizen informants who, often under the threat of blackmail, submit reports on co-workers, friends, family members, neighbors, and even lovers. Gerd Wiesler, a well-disciplined and cold-blooded Stasi captain played by Ulrich Mühe, is fully invested in upholding the values of the German Democratic Republic through ruthless surveillance and interrogation procedures, at the expense of his own nondescript personal existence. When Wiesler helms a mission to spy on Georg Dreyman, an esteemed playwright portrayed by Sebastian Koch, and his actress girlfriend, played by Martina Gedeck, however, he becomes unexpectedly drawn into their private lives.

The 2006 German drama, The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen), written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, is not a horror movie in the strictest sense, but it superbly maintains an aura of dread, thanks to its drab color palette cinematography, which accentuates the hopelessness of those who can lose everything simply due to the slightest hints of subversiveness or independent thought. As a rightful winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, its unflinching examination of an all-too-recent history proves timeless, because astute viewers understand how easily free societies can backslide into such a scenario.

What I find particularly unnerving about The Lives of Others is the notion that even the highest ranking members of the GDR and its law enforcement entities do not actually believe in the system, but nonetheless toe the company line out of a desire to align themselves with the side in power. I am reminded of men who do not actually care for watching television football games, but who still waste their lives doing so in an effort to fit in with others. When I was younger, I believed that all wars were fought between entities who each sincerely feel that they are doing the right thing, but my older self wonders how many of those on any given side are simply lost souls who have succumbed to mob mentality that supersedes their quiet inner desperation.

Like Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993) before it, this is not a “fun” film in a conventional sense, but I am occasionally compelled to revisit it in order to appreciate how a relatively colorless motion picture evokes such colorful emotions. In terms of narrative, I love its similarities to classic-era film noir, complete with a distinct “This will not end well.” air. I also love how it invites us to empathize with each and every figure in the story, Stasi members and quiet rebels like, because of how respective joys, desires, insecurities, and whims are twisted and influenced by the repressive system.

The late great Mühe, who sadly passed away shortly after the completion of this movie, is marvelous in the lead role, as a person who carries the weight of the world behind his expressive eyes. I love one particular sequence, where he silently observes a young Stasi recruit being reprimanded because of an innocent joke.

The denouement of The Lives of Others is an understated powerhouse of emotional catharsis.

This old Sony disc still looks pretty great on my 4K television setup, although I can spot a few peripheral artifacts here and there. Strict technophiles could probably have a field day with this, but I still focus on the story itself.

[HipsterTrash]

Whoever has a deal with Sony needs to give this film a new release.

[Piggles]

I was lucky enough to catch this on TCM last night. I don't pay attention to the Oscars and most foreign films so I was unaware of it before, and I rarely stay up to watch TCM's import block, but it sounded interesting. I really liked it and plan to buy the bd soon!

I believe the only other German film I've seen is World on a Wire which I also saw on TCM years ago but haven't watched my bd copy yet.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Piggles

I really liked it and plan to buy the bd soon!

It's been OOP for years, but used copies are pretty easily found for around $20.