Review of The Lives of Others (2006) by Matt M — 27 May 2013

Set in East Berlin, this is the story of the Stasi spying on a suspected playwright and his actress wife. Based on true events, this German film is an honest tense and thrilling portrayal of a difficult time in German history told in a universally pleasing way.

There is a somewhat poetic element in the characters of the theatre, as they further enhance the lack of freedom in East Germany by showing their attack on something as sacred as art.