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.
"Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets."
Top Billed Cast
Martina Gedeck
Christa-Maria Sieland
Ulrich Mühe
Gerd Wiesler
Sebastian Koch
Georg Dreyman
Ulrich Tukur
Anton Grubitz
Thomas Thieme
Bruno Hempf
Hans-Uwe Bauer
Paul Hauser
Volkmar Kleinert
Albert Jerska
Matthias Brenner
Karl Wallner
Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews
P portman123Verified TMDB Critic
2024-01-13
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 I cry....
C CinemaSerfVerified TMDB Critic
2024-05-11
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 meantime asks the Stasi to keep an eye on him. The very ambitious "Grubitz" (Ulrich Tukur) selects his meticulous colleague "Wiesler" (Ulrich Mühe) to manage the surveillance and off...
U userloserVerified TMDB Critic
2026-05-20
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.
