This was a very good movie.  Compelling.  Gripping.  Interesting.  It takes place in East Germany in 1984, and follows the political and romantic intrigues surrounding a noted socialist playwright and his actress girlfriend.  The movie traces the emotional and ideological changes in the Stasi agent assigned to eavesdrop on them in order to find something  criminal to charge them with.  

We see the artist couple as they are observed unawares by the Stasi agent.  We are treated to the passionate and emotional lives they live, in contrast to the controlled life of agent Wiesler.  We watch as he struggles to make sense of the desolateness of his life, despite the fact that he is a master of understanding and conforming himself to the totalitarian state he works for.  Yet the couple are not free of the influences of the State, and the unravelings and unveilings of these influences drive much of the drama.  

I find the underlying premise a little hard to believe.  A 20-year Stasi veteran agent, interrogator, and trainer gradually finds himself revolted by the reality of the political system he is a willing part of.  This affects his handling of this high-profile and top-secret case.  I find it hard to believe that in 20 years of service, the agent is only just now encountering a situation where power is being abused for personal reasons.  But, it isn't such a far-fetched idea that it prevents the movie from being believable and enjoyable.

The film does a good job of conveying the bleakness of life under a totalitarian regime, where the power of the state can and is brought to bear on people in irresistible ways.  You get a feel for what it takes to survive and thrive in this environment, the complete self-control at all times, the ability to mask your thoughts and feelings behind a blank face.  This movie definitely makes me grateful to live in the United States instead of communist East Germany 30 years ago.  I doubt I would fare very well in such an environment.

The entire movie is in German with English subtitles.  The movie has some nudity (which is completely unnecessary to the overall arc of the story).   Otherwise, there isn't anything very graphic or verbally disturbing about the movie until near the very end.  A fascinating study in the strength of the human spirit and the very fragile nature of individual human beings and their emotions.