Never Look Away is an epic movie masterpiece by the extraordinary Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck with a running time of over three hours, every moment used to it's fullest. Loosely based on the life of German artist Gerhard Richter, a full, complex spectrum of life is presented paralleling Richter's life and art; every shot is exquisitely done, reflecting the interlocked arch of agony; finding one's artistic truth; and ultimately triumphing over a past of secrets, tragedy, and betrayal. The accompanying score is hauntingly beautiful.
Tom Schilling is breathtaking as Kurt Barnert. There is something in his smile and steady demeanor that reminded me of actor / travel writer, Andrew McCarthy. Whatever it was, it worked exceedingly well. Sebastian Koch was chilling as Professor Carl Seeband, and Paula Beer was the perfect actress to round out this trio, playing Ellie Seeband, the unfortunate daughter of the Professor.
The story begins with Kurt as a young boy visiting an art museum with his vibrant, loving, Aunt Elizabeth. In the opening sequences, we see that Nazi Germany's view of art is that it is only to be a vehicle for propaganda pieces. The narrative moved quickly to the horrific situation of Elizabeth being euthanized during the Nazi's Eugenics program because of suspicions that she may be schizophrenic. I found this part of the film so wrenching that I almost shut it off, but I'm glad I stuck with it.
The gynecologist who sterilized Elizabeth, (and then put a + on her chart, sentencing her to the gas chamber), resurfaces later in the film as the father of Kurt's wife, Ellie. That's all I'll say about that so I don't give it away, but we find this out fairly early on, and the drama pushes and pulls the audience along.
As an adult, Kurt goes to art school in East Germany where the teaching is fanatically anti-individual and pro Social Realism. He flees to West-Germany to get away from this oppression. The art school he enrolls in in the West is the mirror opposite of the East. Here he meets a good friend, the perfect kind of buddy for our protagonist; an eccentric art teacher with a powerful story of his own; and another student, Ellie, with whom he falls in love. It is here that Kurt and Ellie's life challenges being.
I'm at a loss as to how to write about this film without giving away the plot and yet at the same time conveying the strident themes. This movie has everything: it's an inter-generational saga that deals with the choices we make in life, politics, ethics, love, loyalty, and a stunning through-line about the life of an artist who finds his voice through facing that white canvas head on and diving artistically into the traumatic issues that shaped him.
When I saw this, I didn't know that it was based on a true story, but I suspected as much as I watched it. This movie won't be for everyone, it's weighty and it's long, but it goes on my list of best movies.
Tom Schilling is breathtaking as Kurt Barnert. There is something in his smile and steady demeanor that reminded me of actor / travel writer, Andrew McCarthy. Whatever it was, it worked exceedingly well. Sebastian Koch was chilling as Professor Carl Seeband, and Paula Beer was the perfect actress to round out this trio, playing Ellie Seeband, the unfortunate daughter of the Professor.
The story begins with Kurt as a young boy visiting an art museum with his vibrant, loving, Aunt Elizabeth. In the opening sequences, we see that Nazi Germany's view of art is that it is only to be a vehicle for propaganda pieces. The narrative moved quickly to the horrific situation of Elizabeth being euthanized during the Nazi's Eugenics program because of suspicions that she may be schizophrenic. I found this part of the film so wrenching that I almost shut it off, but I'm glad I stuck with it.
The gynecologist who sterilized Elizabeth, (and then put a + on her chart, sentencing her to the gas chamber), resurfaces later in the film as the father of Kurt's wife, Ellie. That's all I'll say about that so I don't give it away, but we find this out fairly early on, and the drama pushes and pulls the audience along.
As an adult, Kurt goes to art school in East Germany where the teaching is fanatically anti-individual and pro Social Realism. He flees to West-Germany to get away from this oppression. The art school he enrolls in in the West is the mirror opposite of the East. Here he meets a good friend, the perfect kind of buddy for our protagonist; an eccentric art teacher with a powerful story of his own; and another student, Ellie, with whom he falls in love. It is here that Kurt and Ellie's life challenges being.
I'm at a loss as to how to write about this film without giving away the plot and yet at the same time conveying the strident themes. This movie has everything: it's an inter-generational saga that deals with the choices we make in life, politics, ethics, love, loyalty, and a stunning through-line about the life of an artist who finds his voice through facing that white canvas head on and diving artistically into the traumatic issues that shaped him.
When I saw this, I didn't know that it was based on a true story, but I suspected as much as I watched it. This movie won't be for everyone, it's weighty and it's long, but it goes on my list of best movies.