Many German films reflect on the period between wars. More specifically on the Second War and Nazi rule. Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck seems to like to reflect on how much the reality of this period influences the work of an artist. At least that's what shows his two German films. If "The Lives of Others" (Das Leben der anderen, 2006), it was about a persecuted theater author who knew how to circumvent the censorship and vigil of the Stasi, the police of the former East Germany, his latest film, "Never look away" (Werke ohne author, in the original), is a bit about an artist in search of his own identity in the midst of a fragile life and Germany itself.
"Never look away" is a brutally beautiful film. It tells the story of the young Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling), who since childhood shows great talent for painting, but grows with difficulties in Germany about to enter World War II.
It was 1937, Adolf Hitler was a frighteningly idolized leader by the masses while behind the scenes the Nazi government was conducting a terrible policy of purification of the population. Anyone who showed any physical or mental problem was eliminated. The order to the doctors was expressed: the vacancy in the hospitals was only for pure Aryans who could turn Germany into a perfect race.
It is because of this that Kurt finds himself faced with his first tragedy: the loss of his aunt, great supporter of his talent and purely artistic spirit, but supposedly suffering from schizophrenia.
And from that moment the stories of the families of Kurt and Professor Carl Seeband (Sebastian Koch) begin to cross. Seeband is a famous gynecologist who runs the Dresden clinic where her aunt was murdered. Further on, Kurt will eventually join the teacher's family from dating with Ellie (Paula Beer), a young fashion student at the Dresden Academy of Arts.
Each of them finds a way to survive the change of the dictatorial regime. From Nazism to Soviet Socialism, the teacher counts on the luck to guarantee the protection of a general and the resumption of his life of bonanza at the same time that it erases his Nazi past. Kurt, for his part, works hard. The first steps of his art are writing letters in a plate factory. Hence, he gains encouragement to the School of Fine Arts and is gaining jobs thanks to his talent.
Kurt, however, is never satisfied. Von Donnersmarck makes a point of showing that no matter the scheme. When art is not free, it is not genuine. If the Nazis made a point of ridiculing modern art, the Kandinskys, and everything else that was critical, the Soviets were keen to deny artists who did not think of communism and the good of the proletariat. Picasso was the greatest example of what not to follow.
And in the midst of it, Kurt seemed increasingly dissatisfied with his murals displaying the glory of the sickle and hammer worker. Everything was false, everything was unreal, everything was without identity. It was necessary to change to seek the truth. The truth is that he is pursuing so much in the film.
So Kurt and his girlfriend go in search of a whole new world on the west side before the construction of the Berlin Wall. Finding the truth ends up being the password for Kurt to move in and reflect on the purity of the images from old photographs. But until then, there is a long process of learning, deconstruction, destruction, recreation.
Among the merits of Von Donnersmarck's film is to show this painful journey which is that of creation. And how the environment, the environment and the baggage of the artist's life weigh heavily on his work.
It is curious that the director has also chosen to escape the easy path of the Hollywood revelation. Only us as spectators and, in the end, Seeband, we know of the connection of pain and deaths that connects the teacher to Kurt. The main character never knows this, but his work turns out to be, by coincidence, a huge force from these events. Perhaps art has a divine aspect that we will never know to create unimaginable connections.
"Never look away" is a saga very beautiful and deserved two Oscar nominations. It is a film that deserves to be appreciated by the force of this journey of Kurt and by the transformations that the art causes.
"Never look away" is a brutally beautiful film. It tells the story of the young Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling), who since childhood shows great talent for painting, but grows with difficulties in Germany about to enter World War II.
It was 1937, Adolf Hitler was a frighteningly idolized leader by the masses while behind the scenes the Nazi government was conducting a terrible policy of purification of the population. Anyone who showed any physical or mental problem was eliminated. The order to the doctors was expressed: the vacancy in the hospitals was only for pure Aryans who could turn Germany into a perfect race.
It is because of this that Kurt finds himself faced with his first tragedy: the loss of his aunt, great supporter of his talent and purely artistic spirit, but supposedly suffering from schizophrenia.
And from that moment the stories of the families of Kurt and Professor Carl Seeband (Sebastian Koch) begin to cross. Seeband is a famous gynecologist who runs the Dresden clinic where her aunt was murdered. Further on, Kurt will eventually join the teacher's family from dating with Ellie (Paula Beer), a young fashion student at the Dresden Academy of Arts.
Each of them finds a way to survive the change of the dictatorial regime. From Nazism to Soviet Socialism, the teacher counts on the luck to guarantee the protection of a general and the resumption of his life of bonanza at the same time that it erases his Nazi past. Kurt, for his part, works hard. The first steps of his art are writing letters in a plate factory. Hence, he gains encouragement to the School of Fine Arts and is gaining jobs thanks to his talent.
Kurt, however, is never satisfied. Von Donnersmarck makes a point of showing that no matter the scheme. When art is not free, it is not genuine. If the Nazis made a point of ridiculing modern art, the Kandinskys, and everything else that was critical, the Soviets were keen to deny artists who did not think of communism and the good of the proletariat. Picasso was the greatest example of what not to follow.
And in the midst of it, Kurt seemed increasingly dissatisfied with his murals displaying the glory of the sickle and hammer worker. Everything was false, everything was unreal, everything was without identity. It was necessary to change to seek the truth. The truth is that he is pursuing so much in the film.
So Kurt and his girlfriend go in search of a whole new world on the west side before the construction of the Berlin Wall. Finding the truth ends up being the password for Kurt to move in and reflect on the purity of the images from old photographs. But until then, there is a long process of learning, deconstruction, destruction, recreation.
Among the merits of Von Donnersmarck's film is to show this painful journey which is that of creation. And how the environment, the environment and the baggage of the artist's life weigh heavily on his work.
It is curious that the director has also chosen to escape the easy path of the Hollywood revelation. Only us as spectators and, in the end, Seeband, we know of the connection of pain and deaths that connects the teacher to Kurt. The main character never knows this, but his work turns out to be, by coincidence, a huge force from these events. Perhaps art has a divine aspect that we will never know to create unimaginable connections.
"Never look away" is a saga very beautiful and deserved two Oscar nominations. It is a film that deserves to be appreciated by the force of this journey of Kurt and by the transformations that the art causes.