118 • JULY 2019 READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/CULTURE/FILM
© MODERN FILMSNow, don’t get us wrong; Florian Henckel
von Donnersmarck’s latest epic is not the
lightest watch in the world. At three and
a half hours it requires a certain amount
of physical stamina just to sit through. It
also tackles several demanding thematic
undercurrents: politics, art, love,
history—it’s all of life’s foundations and
nuances encapsulated in one film. But
man, can von Donnersmarck pull it off.
The story revolves around the life of
Kurt Barnert, starting with his traumatic
childhood in the 1940s, plagued by
tragedy and loss, through to his adult
years as a gifted, discerning artist whose
Human drama and history unravel on
a grand scale in Florian Henckel von
Donnersmack’s latest masterpiece
life is an endless stream of trials and
cruel curveballs. Dissatisfied with the
limited opportunities and narrow
world view dominating East Germany,
he escapes with his young wife to the
West but his painful past under the
Nazis follows him wherever he goes.
Von Donnersmarck ploughs us with
an unrelenting stream of cutting human
emotion that you’ll feel with every fibre
of your being. Each reflection, glance
and word is nothing if not relatable on
the most cellular level to anyone who’s
ever lived, breathed and felt something,
with many wise but never-patronising
messages to chew on and treasure.
Never Look Away is a huge cinematic
feat and, trust us, even after three and
a half hours, you won’t want it to end.NEVER LOOK AWAY
H H H H H