Abschied-Brechts letzter Sommer is a quiet film with a lot of suppressed noise. Brecht, played by Josef Bierbichler, is spending his last days in august 56, at his summer residence outside Berlin, surrounded by five women: his wife, Helene Weigel, his daughter Barbara, his assistant Elisabeth Hauptmannn, his former lover Ruth Berlau, his present lover, a young actress named Käthe Reichel and Isot Kilian, who's there with her open minded husband philosopher Wolfgang Harich, who's love-hate-friendship with Brecht is not the only thing that puts up some pressure between them. If you expect to get a lesson in Brechts works or some dry time document, get ready to be disappointed. The whole movie could be about a total unknown man, cause its not about an artist, its about a life of a man who was so focused on himself, he didn't see how he affected the people who were close to him. He must have had a big aura because of his professional success, cause he was already world famous when he was still alive. He is old, sick and not in best physical shape, but he was writing until he died. A chamber piece of selfishness, love, passion and jealousy.
Review of The Farewell
