Never Look Away

This is a beautifully made film with a well-written script, exquisite cinematography, excellent performances and an exceptional score. Director and writer, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck has come very close to creating a masterpiece with this epic story.

Never Look Away begins with Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) as a boy, artistic and impressive and an incidental survivor of Nazi atrocity during WWII. We follow him into adulthood, trying to live as an artist in communist East Germany before defecting to the West and flourishing. All the while, he is unwittingly crossing paths with the Nazi villain responsible for the devastating loss of his beloved aunt during his childhood.

The film is three hours long but there’s not a redundant moment; and though the story is sometimes harrowing, there is humour, insight, and genuine emotional beauty. Sebastian Koch plays a Nazi obstetrician, Professor Carl Seeband, with complexity and nuance, avoiding the usual cliches. Saskia Rosendahl is stunning in her brief time on screen as the aunt, Elizabeth. Paula Beer is a perfect complement to Schilling and counterpart to Koch.

Truly impressive.

★★★★

Reviewed by Rita Bratovich