Never Look Away (2018) User Reviews

Nazism, communism, capitalism ... and art!

[FrenchEddieFelson · 8/10 · 26 July 2019]

This captivating and moving movie is essentially based on encounters, fortuitous or not, of good omen or not, in Germany, GDR and then FRG.

Professor Carl Seeband (Sebastian Koch) is a brilliant gynecologist, cold and completely devoid of empathy. His 'talent' will enable him to become an imminent member of the Nazi Party and to actively work in the eugenics process in order to improve the 'racial hygiene'. Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) is a young artist whose inspiration seems to be animated by repressed memories of his aunt Elisabeth May (Saskia Rosendahl), who mysteriously lost her mind during the rise of Nazism in the 30s, then silently 'disappeared' just before the Second World War: Elizabeth's fate will end at a fatal meeting with Professor Carl Seeband. A few years later, Kurt Barnert will accidentally fall in love with Ellie Seeband (Paula Beer), the only daughter of Professor Carl Seeband.

Freely inspired by the life of Gerhard Richter, the film describes the three decades of a black and then red Germany, struck by two destructive ideologies, before being sold to capitalism. Without reaching the near-perfectness of Das Leben der Anderen (2006), this film is excellent: casting of first choice, neat photography, dialogues skillfully written, captivating scenario, a clever mix of sensual and sweet scenes alternately with cold and depressing other ones, ... As a synthesis: 8 of 10

Never Look Away (2019)

[rockman182 · 9/10 · 16 February 2019]

I had time to check out this film yesterday and decided to go for it despite its 3 hour and 9 minute running length. I have seen von Donnersmarck's The Lives of Others and The Tourist (the latter of which was awful). The Lives of Others was great though, so I was in anticipation to see what he would see next. Pay no mind to the running length of this film, its an astounding and really fantastically gripping film that is actually quite inspiring.

The film is about the life of an artist named Kurt from his childhood to adulthood and the events in his life that inspire him to become the artist that he is. Early in his life his aunt is euthanized during Nazi, Germany because of suspicions that she may be schizophrenic. Growing up he struggles to find his calling in life but little does he know that the events of his past are what are present in his current day life, unbeknownst to him. I know this wasn't a really in depth summary but that is intentional as I want you to go see this film and experience it for yourself.

From the opening moments in the museums art gallery to the closing moment of Kurt staring at the camera, this is an alluring viewing. Its beautifully shot and is inclusive of a wide range of emotions and life processes including love, hate, death, despair, ambition, and determination. I liked the love story in the film as well. Normally you would see couples in films bicker but in this film its pure love, passion, and support throughout.

Apparently the film is loosely based on the life of Gerhard Richter. I can't really comment on that accuracy but I will say that the blurred paintings of photographs that Kurt paints are absolutely wonderful. Its so nice to see him finally have that moment and find his true calling and his real motivation for painting. I was actually inspired by Kurt's journey in his life and finale finding that recipe for success. In many ways I can relate.

I was a huge fan of the moving score for this film. Especially in latter stages of the film where it was so effective and just so perfect fit. The acting is good all around and at times the film utilizes subtle humor. I could have actually sat through another hour of this film because it embodies so much of what I wish films would these days.

I'm not often really moved by pictures like I was with this. Every scene in this long film is important as it comes back later. Its just pure art in cinematic form. I rarely ever hand out ratings this high but I really feel like Never Look Away is very deserving of that honor. Indeed, its hard to look away from the beauty on display in this film. Just a truly moving experience that I recommend to everyone.

9/10

That's what true art looks like

[jamesjustice-92 · 9/10 · 11 December 2019]

Ich spreche Deutsch ziemlich gut um zu kommunizieren aber nicht genug um die ganze Kritik auf Deutsch zu schreiben darum I'll write it in English. The new movie by Florian von Donnersmarck mesmerized me from the very beginning - the way he can capture the atmosphere, the way he portrays a main hero and even every little character is outstanding and you can literally never look away while watching this modern masterpiece. I actually don't understand why some movie titles are translated into other languages with their own meanings because "Never look away" does not fully capture the true meaning of it while "Work without author" does that almost perfectly. The author of another great one ("The lives of others", 2006) has not outdone himself but came pretty close to doing so: a movie that's so versatile, so multidimensional that you just can't fully figure it out on watch one - it needs to be watched many times. A story of a young boy growing up, facing difficulties, experiencing life changing moments, disappointments, reevaluations in search of an answer to the eternal question: who am I in this fast-changing world? - does it ever get old? I don't think so.

I wasn't bored for even a minute.

[doorstepent-01607 · 10/10 · 26 November 2019]

This is a fantastic movie, historical drama and philosophical essey on art at the same time. The runtime might seem a bit long, but once the movie gets your attention, it never lets you go. The well-written charcters are full of life, which delivers a complex yet relatable story throughout the history of XX. century Germany. The film is also beautiful, awesome cinematography. And an inevitable piece if you want to understand the thouhts behind modern art. While the english title is good (Never look away - the primary thesis of the movie), please also notice the original title (Art without author). Recommend 10/10

astounding, life-changing, masterpiece

[mathomas-28053 · 14 September 2019]

I am reluctant to write my review of this film, only because I fear I won't do it justice. This film is a masterpiece of the first order. According to Wikipedia, it received a 14-minute standing ovation when it was first shown at a European film festive. I can testify that it received a 14-minute standing ovation in my living room.

We follow a small circle of characters through approximately 30 years of tumultuous history. We are intensely interested in the fate of each of them. There is humor, pathos, agony, exhilaration, discovery, closure, wonder, and astonishment in every scene. The acting is astounding, as is every other aspect of movie making. Bach's beautiful "Sheep May Safely Graze" is used throughout the movie; ironically, of course, because in Hitler's Germany, the sheep were not safe.

My life has rarely been changed, set on a new path, by a film, but I can say this one has done it. I wish the same for you. Watch it over a period of two days, because you probably won't be able to take it all in in only one.

A tale for today

[jrwygant · 10/10 · 1 February 2020]

"Never Look Away" is essentially a film about three characters: a young artist, based on the life of Gerhard Richter, his wife, and his wife's father, a former Nazi who worked as a doctor committed to "purifying" the German race. So with the focus held so tightly on just three characters, it may seem surprising that it takes three hours to tell the story. But this film never left the feeling that too much was being told. It is a masterpiece of ideal personal relationships set against a background of truly evil and destructive behavior.

The story begins with the artist as a young boy in the care of his devoted but slightly strange aunt. We follow the artist into young adulthood and into a marriage that faces unique challenges. He carries with him his aunt's plea to "never look away."

While this tale begins at the onset of the Nazi era, much of what is presented is relevant to our contemporary world, though those political parallels are not drawn explicitly in the film.

Released in 2018, this film was honored with many award nominations and a few wins. Because of subtitles and a length of three hours, "Never Look Away" did not lend itself well to American tastes or to wide theatrical distribution. It is available on DVD or streaming and should not be missed.

Do not let this go - take time and see it

[northdot · 10/10 · 17 November 2019]

I am not a film critic and will not analyze this movie. It is simply GREAT. On par with Lives of Others. I will watch this over and over again in years to come.

A great movie

[lallo-2 · 8/10 · 3 November 2019]

It's a 3 hours movie but you don't perceive so long. The plot is great. The story is well depicted. The actors are very good.

The soundtrack as well so great. Very touching in some moments.

I didn't know that Germans were so good in making movies.

It's another story totally different than Dr Zivago but great as well.

I strongly recommend to watch it. Strongly.

Good movie but disappointing ending to me.

[deloudelouvain · 6/10 · 4 May 2020]

Although it's a really long movie (more than three hours) you never get really bored. For that the story is interesting enough to keep your attention. The cinematography and acting are good as well. Sebastian Koch is definitely one of the better German actors, but the rest of the cast did also a good job. There is some disappointment though, at least for me, with an ending that I thought should have been better. But since it's a biography I guess they couldn't make it a better looking end, still to me it was not the outcome I hoped for after watching it for three hours. That's the only reason I score it lower, for the rest it's a good movie.

Masterpiece!

[mohamadfakouri-10602 · 10/10 · 15 March 2020]

I just want to stand up and clap for this film! Awesome!!

Has some good things

[claudecat · 6/10 · 18 March 2019]

I wouldn't recommend this film to everyone: the storytelling is a bit heavyhanded, and in my opinion it didn't need to be as long as it is, but I did enjoy the comparisons of the East German and West German art worlds, many of the performances, and most of the production design.

To give one example of what I mean by heavyhanded, the protagonist's first visit to the Düsseldorf Art Academy coincides with a student show, and the various works are all extremely avant-garde, to the point where the movement is affectionately satirized--this probably does not reflect what real students were actually showing that year. Conversely, the students in East Germany are all shown doing nothing but exaggeratedly Social Realist propaganda pieces, which again I suspect is not 100% true. But the scenes serve as shorthand guides to some basic differences between the two systems. I appreciated that the director did make one of the professors in East Germany somewhat sympathetic, and did not immediately dismiss the idea that maybe there is something constrictive about the West's demand for constant innovation and "heroic" individuality in art. Still, the film's obvious belief is that its main character, Kurt Barnert, and the avant-garde teacher, Professor Antonius van Verten (obviously based on Joseph Beuys, though I was glad the director changed the name) are heroes. (I completely disagree with Prof. van Verten's contention that artists should never vote in elections.)

Some of the scoring seems aimed at manipulating the audience's feelings, but those moments were done in such an obvious way that they only served as Brechtian distancing devices to me.

I was a bit confused by the film's treatment of women. The director obviously has sympathy for the female characters. But even the most prominent, the main character's wife, is completely separated from the hero's artistic career, which is the most important thing in his life. She is shown creating her own work as a fashion designer, but we never learn anything about it, and the protagonist never once talks to her about her designs...and she never talks to him about his paintings, even though they are partly about her family. To the director's credit, female art students are shown in both East and West Germany, but none of them have any lines. We learn what happens to Kurt's father, but, unless I and my companion both missed some bit of dialogue, his mother simply disappears from the story.

In addition, the film's POV is classically "male gaze:" if the director has any excuse to show a naked breast, he will, even when it could be argued that it's inappropriate. The only full-frontal male nudity involves artists who are completely hidden with paint--maybe the German cut of the film is different? There's even a perhaps unwittingly humorous moment when three of Kurt's male art student friends are transfixed by a nude portrait of his wife. The camera hovers above the painting, so that we don't quite take on its POV, but we see their stunned faces; the wife's opinion is never addressed.

Of course, after I saw the film I looked up the real-life events it is based on, and I was surprised to see that the person who inspired the Aunt Elisabeth character was much younger than the onscreen version--only 14 at the time of some of the important events shown in the film. I can't help but suspect that one reason the age shift was made was so that the director could sexualize the character--the film implies that Kurt finds a parallel between his aunt and his wife. The aunt's nude scenes are justified by the story, but they still seemed played for sexiness, even at the worst moments--as if the director feared the audience wouldn't sympathize with the character's plight unless she was sexually attractive at all times. (Incidental costume note: Aunt Elisabeth's anachronistic long hairdo and unseasonable outfit highly irritated me for the first few scenes of the film. But most of the production design I liked, except for the artificially blue eyes of some of the actors.)

I would recommend the film, with qualifications, to people who have a particular interest in the art world, or in Germany during the 1930s-60s, but probably not to anyone who doesn't.

Historical note: before any American goes away from this film feeling smug about our government compared to the Nazi government, please look up the 1927 US Supreme Court ruling, "Buck vs. Bell."

A Wonderfull Work About Guilt and Atonement

[Breumaster · 9/10 · 18 February 2020]

After I saw that movie, I saw it twice a little later, because the movie is really touchy. It shows the fictional story about a medical SS doctor that survived the war by helping a russian major's wife for delivery. The doctor formerly newtered people which weren't worthy enough for the German Reich, like e.g. insane people. After the end of war, he changed to the German Democratic Republic, where he did his further career.

The movie shows the circumstances of the German Democratic Republic and a love story of a young man and the daughter of the doctor. It shows the tragic fact that the GDR didn't come to terms with the past. The whole Nazi-past wasn't discussed in East Germany behind the iron curtain. Only through the protagonists telling the story, one can imagine what it does mean to the whole country.

The story is told over several decades with interesting and good actors, who all do a good job. The 3 hours ran away. A clear recommendation for people who want know more about (East-) Germany's past!

Focus is not clear

[m_durukal · 6/10 · 2 February 2020]

Transitions are not smooth. Elizabeth part is standing irrelevant. Sections could not be merged right. Focus is broken, in current case; too long.

Too much!!

[mooveefan-87188 · 5/10 · 14 December 2019]

One minute I would be swept away by this movie and the next minute I almost felt like fast-forwarding. I wish I didnt know anything about Gerhard Richter's life, it would have made the movie more enjoyable. Being "inspired" by Richter's life, there's a tendency to wonder why the writer used real events one minute and not-so-real events the next. Elisabeth was institutionalized but was starved to death and there wasn't a down-syndrome girl who said "I like you" to a female guard as she was sent to a gas chamber. I found this disgusting. I didn't understand why Professor Carl Seeband played such a significant part throughout the whole movie if Barnert was never going to realize who he was or get caught for what he did. Another thing that bugged me immensely was naming Barnert's girlfriend/wife Elisabeth and then having him not want to call her that, instead calling her Ellie, which makes one assume that it made him think of his dear aunt. His wife wasn't Elisabeth. It was too much fiction for me and at the same time too much bio pic. I wish the maker of the film would have chosen one or the other. If had been just a movie about an artist post-Hitler, it would have been a better movie....or better yet, a TRUE portrayal of Richter's life.

about yourself

[Kirpianuscus · 1 November 2020]

It is one of films who you just feel. Only feel. Because it is about family, past, Nazi regime, cold adaptation to the new realities, love, cinism and survive, art, truth and parenthood, about happiness and about be yourself. A beautiful film, many memorable scenes, great Sebastian Koch and Tom Willing and the fair story. And, no doubts, magnificent portraits . A film who, if you are real honest to yourself, can be only about you.

Must see!

[sanamer · 10/10 · 14 May 2021]

Exquisite is the only word I can find to describe this movie. Everything is as it must be. An astonishing mixture of getting one emotional, dig deep in soul, and at the same time remain alert and analytical about the events and the horror happening to the individuals of different ages and at different levels of the society. The psychology, history, art, and everything in this movie, including its music has created an amazing poem about war, crime, pain, and creation.

'Don't look away. Never look away, Kurt. All that is true is beautiful.'

[gradyharp · 10/10 · 20 February 2022]

NEVER LOOK AWAY, titled in German Werk ohne autor ("Work without Author"), is inspired by the life of artist Gerhard Richter and surveys the history of Germany from 1940 to the late 1960s as viewed through the eyes and mind of an artist. Written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck with an exceptional musical score by Max Richter and cinematography by Caleb Deschanel, the film invites us to see the changes in German history, from the Nazi regime (with many of the heinous crimes such as sterilization of women thought to be unfit) to the Berlin Wall division of East Germany GDR and West Germany and beyond - a division of country, political stances, and artistic movements.

The story opens in 1940 with the vagaries of WW II as we meet young artist-to-be Kurt witnessing the capture of his beloved aunt Elisabeth (Saskia Rosendahl) who utters the title of the film to the terrified Kurt. The fall of the Nazis results in the formation of the socialist GDR and the impact on all aspect of life, including art, is evident. Young artist Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) has fled to West Germany, but he continues to be tormented by the experiences of his childhood and youth in the Nazi years and during the GDR-regime. When he meets student Ellie (Paula Beer), he is convinced that he has met the love of his life and starts to create paintings that mirror not only his own fate, but also the traumas of an entire generation. Ellie's father, Professor Seeband (Sebastian Koch), a famous doctor, is dismayed at his daughter's choice of boyfriend, and vows to destroy the relationship. What neither of them knows is that their lives are already connected through a terrible crime Seeband committed decades ago. In art school Kurt struggles to find his significance as an artist, and with the help of fellow student Günther Preusser (Hanno Koffler) and Art Professor Antonius van Verten (Oliver Masucci), he finally discovers his unique gift. Of note, Kurt's art professor, is modeled on the artist Joseph Beuys who was the head of sculpture at the Kunstakadamie in Dusseldorf during the early 60s. This was at the time Gerhard Richter first enrolled.

Breathtakingly beautiful, this epic film allows the viewer to understand the history of Germany in all its forms and the effect the changes altered on all people as depicted through an artist's vision. Epic in length, offered in German with English subtitles, this is a film that deserve a very wide audience. Very highly recommended. Grady Harp, February 22.

Unforgettable, magnificent

[armstrongd_uk · 10/10 · 18 September 2020]

Three viewings have simply confirmed my initial impression that this is simply one of the very best films I have ever been privileged to see. Certainly in my top three. Utterly engaging from the start to finish. Brilliantly cast, brilliantly conceived and directed. So many unforgettable scenes and images. Soundtrack beautiful and perfectly matched. This is a film I shall no doubt watch again, and has enriched my life. Truly uplifting and inspiring.

Excellent!

[guy-366 · 9/10 · 9 January 2020]

Not for kids or dummies. Great for grownups! Epic filmmaking at its best.

artistic freedom

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 13 February 2019]

Greetings again from the darkness. As much as we pride ourselves on 'artistic freedom', the reality is that politics has long played a vital role - either as inadvertent inspiration for the work, or as organized suppressor or moderator. Rarely in history has the latter been more in effect than during the Nazi regime. This film begins at an art gallery in 1937 Dresden as a loving aunt takes her young nephew to an installation of "degenerate artists". Nazi propaganda presented modern art by such artists as Picasso and Kandinsky as a blight on German culture, and proceeded to educate (or brainwash) the populace accordingly.

Writer-Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck was behind the extraordinary Best Foreign Language Oscar winner THE LIVES OF OTHERS (2006), as well as the all-but unwatchable THE TOURIST (2010). Fortunately, this latest is much closer to the level of the first one, and it has been rewarded by also being Oscar nominated. Miss May, the loving and free-spirited aunt of the opening sequence is played by the luminescent Saskia Rosendahl. As a student, a simple gesture of handing Hitler a bouquet of flowers destroys her psyche, which leads to even more dramatic ramifications. This was an era when being a free-spirit was treated harshly, which could mean mass sterilization or even being "relieved of a meaningless existence." Miss May crosses paths with Nazi gynecologist Professor Carl Seeband (Sebastian Koch), in a gut-wrenching scene that hovers over the entire film, and especially that beloved young nephew.

Tom Schilling (and his turquoise eyes) plays Kurt Barnert (the nephew at older age), one who possesses exceptional artistic talent. As Kurt begins making a name for himself (painting as directed), he meets and falls for design student Ellie Seeband (Paula Beer, FRANTZ). Yes, she is the daughter of the Professor who determined the fate of Kurt's aunt, although Kurt is unaware. As the war escalates, Kurt and Ellie flee to West Germany, while the past haunts all involved.

Once accepted into the new art school, Kurt falls under the guidance of Professor van Verten (Oliver Masucci). It's this Professor's personal horror story that becomes a turning point for Kurt, and enables him to discover his own voice as an artist. During this time, Professor Carl Seeband has smoothly switched allegiances and become a communist to save his arrogant hide, though he is burdened with the knowledge that his war crimes past could catch up at any moment. This man is both family member and villain to Kurt and Ellie, tormenting and belittling at every opportunity. It's fascinating to see how the couple perseveres through his psychological games and even medical malpractice - as if the war, Nazism and Communism weren't enough of a daily challenge.

The film is loosely based on German artist Gerhard Richter, though mostly in the form of his earliest artwork. Mr. Richter is still alive today and still creating. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (father to Emily and Zooey) has produced a beautifully shot film, and the result is his 6th Oscar nomination. Brace yourself for a 3-plus hour run time, and the frustrations of how an artist can discover their voice despite an organized singular ideology that one is pressured to accept.

Crescendo masterclass.

[middleearthmusic · 10/10 · 26 May 2019]

Movies like this are leaving Hollywood looking less and less relevant. This is not a paint by numbers cash generator but a beautifully woven story. I won't lay it out because others have already done that, but if you commit to the three hours it has an incredible payoff. I was crying like a baby near the end. I don't think this would have had the impact if the pace was faster it was a perfectly timed crescendo. I will watch again at some time but I know the initial impact won't be there. This story has multiple threads all colliding to make a perfect tapestry. Movies like this are becoming rare which is a shame. Do not miss this one.

Occasionally brilliant, but nowhere near FHvD's finest

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 21 October 2018]

"Werk ohne Autor" or "Never Look Away" is a new German 2018 movie and the most recent filmmaking effort by writer and director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. He is of course still most known for the Oscar-winning "Lives of Others", but this one we got here is only his second film after the latter, which really isn't much. After a not particularly successful journey to Hollywood (Depp/Jolie), it took almost a decade for him to make another movie. Was this one worth the wait? Probably not. It's all weaker than "The Lives of Others" here, the lead performance, the script, the direction, the emotional impact etc. But this doesn't mean it is a bad film or anything. Not at all. I still enjoyed the watch for the most part and these three hours flew by relatively quickly. It is a fairly long film yep, actually unusually long for a German movie these days if we don't count miniseries. I think there was a film by Oscar Roehler five years ago or so that was also around three hours long, one that was even longer by Reitz, but these are the only ones coming to mind. Now back to this one here, story-wise there is very much in here as the film spans over several decades. Early on, the main character is still a child living during the days of Nazi Germany and we find out about his close connection to Saskia Rosendahl's character, seemingly closer than the one to his own parents. Rosendahl (stunning young woman!) gives the epitome of a memorable supporting performance really in the first half hour, maybe more. Very good and I can see why she is considered among the actresses with the most potential here in Germany. This film can only further boost her career. Also let's mention Lars Eidinger, who plays a very small and not particularly significant role in the first five minutes, but he is an absolute scene stealer. I am saying "not particularly significant" because eventually his character's approach to art and how he tells it to the young boy does not result in the boy giving up on the subject, even if he says he has a tendency to. Now I mentioned already two fairly known actors, at least here in Germany, and there are more big names attached to this project, even if most of them only appear in it for a little while with the big jumps in time. One would be Oliver Masucci playing an art professor and he does a pretty fine job as well and his final monologue before he leaves the scene by lifting his head was among the very best the film had to offer. Who else? Oh yeah, Ben Becker has a cameo, but he is really gone so quickly that you almost don't recognize him. Rainer Bock sadly doesn't have too much screen time either, even if he appears (or people talk about him let's say) on several occasions throughout the film.

It is as if all these minor characters shine while Tom Schilling never really does and he is just there. Even compared to Hanno Koffler, he feels almost more forgettable, even if we hardly know anything about the latter and the character he plays. And don't even get me started on Paula Beer (wow she's gorgeous) who starts okay, but gets better and better the longer the film goes. Her father-daughter relationship story is among the very best the film has to offer. Said father is played by Sebastian Koch by the way (you know him from "The Lives of Others" where he played a man whose character could not be any more different compared to here) and he could very well be the best thing about the film. Early on, it is not entirely clear if he is really a bad guy or just an opportunist or may even turn into a good guy eventually when he saves the Russian woman's life (and her son's), but he is as rotten as they come. He constantly bullies the main character and even kills his own (unborn) grandchild because he does not approve of who the child's father is. And at the same time, he robs his daughter of the chance to ever give birth. There is a great irony if you see how he saves the enemy woman's life for his own sake (to get out of jail) compared to what he does to his own daughter. I also would not say he is a tragic character. His past, his cowardice and his affair show that he really seemingly never genuinely experienced the feeling of love. There is one moment I found particularly memorable. I am referring to when he calls himself a "gute Partie" that showed what a narcissist he is. But he gets his fair share in the end, even if he seemingly gets away without having to go to jail. Koch's character could very well be what stays most in the mind from this film. And it is among the biggest strengths. The weaknesses were minor and maybe those were most obvious when the film really focused on the main character. Such as the final bus horn scene that is a reference to early on, but I must say it did not make an impact for me at all unfortunately and was certainly not the greatest way to end the movie. But the moment he starts painting these pictures (based on photos) of the war criminal they are looking for was really good and I had some goosebumps there. I liked it. The music in that particular scene was amazing too. The title I am not a great fan of I must say. The reference at the end with the journalist saying these three words, to me, did not feel significant enough to call the movie like that. The English title is slightly better with a reference to Rosendahl's character's quote, but also not a winner. Overall, it is a good film that does a fine job in mixing German history over the years and decades of the 20th century with a very personal story. The proportion seems right to me. We will see how deep this one goes in the Oscars race this year as it was selected as Germany's official submission for the Foreign Language category. I don't think it is good enough to win FHvD a second trophy and I also don't think it will. But I'd be surprised if it doesn't make the list of final nine contenders and the top five are also a good option I believe. Also visually and stylistically, the movie is probably superior to the majority of other contenders. The final top five are certainly possible and I think it would be okay if the film gets there, even if my prediction is that it will be on the shortlist, but not make achieve the nomination. We will see. But yeah, if you care about German films, especially about history, then this one is close to a must-see. I loved it during certain scenes and I liked it from start to finish. Thumbs up!

A Bit Too Much

[BNester · 8/10 · 2 December 2018]

"Never Look Away" is a seriously good movie. It tells the life of Kurt, a German artist born just before the Nazis took power, who survives the war and studies in East Germany under the Communists, eventually ending up in West Germany and trying to find his own style. The story is engrossing, the acting is good, there are some beautiful nude scenes, excellent camera work, interesting characters, and the insight that all totalitarian societies treat their artists as means to an end. What stops it getting a rating of 10/10 is that everything is just a bit too much. Kurt's beloved aunt Elizabeth, an early victim of the Nazis, is heartbreakingly, almost inhumanly, beautiful. Perhaps she is seen that way by her 8-year-old nephew; but he already shows the precocious artistic talent to see things as they really are. There is a Bad Guy in the film, and he is unremittingly, almost inhumanly, bad. This is not just an artistic failing. By having the Bad Guy so evil, it tends to distract the viewer from the fact that the Holocaust was conducted by ordinary people, not super-villains. The film is long, at 3 hours and 8 minutes. It doesn't feel like that, and I didn't find myself looking at my watch. But it could have lost, say, half an hour, and would have been better for it. And the music is a bit overdone, a bit too emphatic. "Never Look Away" is a very good film that could have been better.

Between the schematic and the pretentious

[danybur · 6/10 · 16 August 2022]

Summary:

This biopic-tribute to the German plastic artist Gerhard Richter suffers from various vices that the genre usually incurs, ranging from schematic to pretentiousness, in a story that seeks to assemble personal history, historical-political contexts and artistic training with a result rather scattered. In any case, it is always useful and necessary for a film to return to the atrocities of Nazism (in this case its euthanasia policies) and also to the paths of impunity for its criminals.

Review:

The film follows the personal and artistic life of a painter, Kurt Barnert, from his childhood in Dresden in 1937, through almost three decades of German history.

Actually, this film by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is a biopic-tribute to the important German plastic artist Gerhard Richter and exposes various circumstances of his life and their relationship with his artistic training.

Not coincidentally, the film opens with a visit by Kurt as a child with his aunt Elisabeth to the Exhibition of Degenerate Art (Entartete Kunst) in Dresden in 1937, where the guide played by Lars Eidinger (Babylon Berlin, Irma Vep) minutely enumerates the characteristics "degenerate" of those works cataloged like this by Nazism.

Sooner rather than later, the film addresses the issue of the Nazi regime's criminal euthanasia policies on the disabled and the mentally ill, focusing on gynecologist Carl Seeband (Sebastian Koch) and the tremendous Allied bombing of Dresden, a city that would remain within of what will be East Germany. Therefore, Von Donnersmarck will show us the artistic training of the young Kurt according to the precepts of "socialist realism", establishing a somewhat obvious parallelism with the beginning of the film. At the same time, Kurt's romance with another Elisabeth (Paula Beer, the great actress from Undine) develops and we will see that elements of the Nazi past will continue to be present in the life of the young man (Tom Schilling).

It always arouses curiosity to see how a German director tackles Nazism or socialism in East Germany (Von Donnersmarck had already done the latter in The Lives of Others). But Never Look Away (an ambitious 3-hour film) suffers from certain flaws that biopics tend to incur, particularly those of artists. The typical topics appear: the original trauma and the influence on the work, the relationship between art and artistic training with politics and ideology and between private life and ideology, the search for one's own artistic language (so difficult to describe in a film) and an atmosphere of freedom to develop it and the inevitable epiphanic moment. At this point, the original German title (Werke ohne Author, work without an author), is the one that works best as a synthesis of his artistic ideas.

But all these elements are exposed and combined with a certain schematic and sometimes pretentiousness; but the result is scattered, it does not look fully integrated. Max Richter's pounding soundtrack repeats ad nauseam a 3-note leitmotif in an attempt to infuse some scenes with grandeur, but ironically, the best (and certainly beautiful) musical moments of the film are those that use fragments of Handel and Purcell. And it's a shame that Beer's character is losing relevance as the film progresses, with all that that implies.

In any case, it is always useful for a film to return to the atrocities of Nazism and also to the paths of impunity.

This could have been so much better.

[snootsncoots · 5/10 · 9 July 2020]

I rated this a 5, average, because that's what it is. The movie looks good, and does a fine job of showing how East Germany rolled from Hitler's National Socialist Workers Party into the Communism of Stalin. The artist is lucky enough to leave before the Iron Curtain comes down. The heartlessness of the German eugenics is well portrayed, and the shots of what Dresden must have been like before the bombing are well done.

Now I don't mind spending over three hours watching a movie, but I demand a satisfactory ending. I'm left with questions, which doesn't seem fair considering the length of the film. Does the bad guy get his punishment? Does the artist ever find out about his connection to his fate? Maybe the bad guy heads for South America, maybe he is found out, who knows?

Other questions are why bother sterilizing people if they will be disposed of? How is the bad guy not known to have participated in the atrocities by local people? He has a reaction to seeing himself in the artwork, but obviously everyone already knows who he is. He doesn't even change his name. The Russian getting rid of paperwork helps, but surely others are aware of his job. Going after war criminals and former SS was pretty hot after the war, so most of them took a lot more precautions than this guy. But we never see what happens, which is the mistake of this long movie.