The Lives of Others was one of my favorite movies of 2007, which is why I was surprised to hear rumors of a remake a little while ago.  Set in East Germany in 1984, the film follows the gradual disillusionment of Captain Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe), a highly skilled officer working for the Stasi, East Germany’s all-powerful secret police. Winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, The Lives of Others confronts the totalitarian excesses of the East German state.

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