Never Look Away Movie Review
Never Look Away is a three hour movie. Not in a hyperbolic, “Oh my god this movie is like three hours long,” type of way. It is actually three hours. Three hours and nine minutes to be exact. When I got out of the theater I felt like I had just woken up from a long hibernation. The movie is long but it’s also really emotionally exhausting which I think contributed to me feeling similar to a zombie when it was over.
The movie follows artist Kurt (Tom Schilling) from the time he is a young boy to adulthood. He grows up during Nazi Germany and WWII and his family suffers under the regime. His experiences as a child later inform his artistic works. The movie is loosely based on German artist Gerhard Richter. You’ll see a lot of similarities between Kurt and Richter throughout. There are several really great points in the movie and several really slow bits. I liked the romance between Kurt and his wife Ellie (Paula Beer). It was fun to see them navigating life together.
There’s also a weird twist between Ellie’s father, Professor Seeband (Sebastian Koch), and Kurt and his family. That part really creeped me out and made for a lot of uncomfortable moments. Professor Seeband was not really a redeemable character and you will most likely want to punch him in the face. Since I’m a history nerd I really liked getting to see some of the history, especially with the separation of Eastern and Western Europe after the war. Kurt and Ellie make their escape to the West and there were some really fun scenes of them exploring their new city. If you’re an art lover at all you’ll enjoy some of the scenes of Kurt at the arts academy. There are a lot of “out there” artists who work on some interesting projects and that was enjoyable to see.
Some people are calling this one a masterpiece. I wouldn’t go that far but it’s really well done and I found it to be enjoyable despite its long run time. If you have three hours to spare, then you should check it out.
Film or Movie: Film
You’ll like this film if:
1. You’re a history nerd
2. You love art, particularly Gerhard Richter
3. You like long, slow-moving films
