Another of 2018’s most acclaimed films comes from Germany. It is a fictionalized examination of the life of painter Gerhard Richter, although I have no idea how closely it follows or recreates Richter’s life. Like Cold War, this is also a social commentary about the times in which the painter (here known as Kurt Barnert) existed, and how they affect him. Unlike Cold War, which is a very insular, intimate story, Never Look Away seems like an epic journey into a person’s life.

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s movie follows Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) from his formative teenage years through his escape from East Germany into West Germany; from his first preoccupations with beauty and art through his tortured attempts to find self-expression with his own artistic vision; from naïve student through cynical, jaded adulthood, all the while trying to define who he is, to himself and the people around him. It is the story of an evolution of life, emphasizing how one person can affect those around him or her just by existing and reacting with others.

This three-hour film does a better job than any other I have ever seen at relating how an artist struggles to interpret the world around him, and the difficulties in finding a proper method of communicating his feelings through art. It is a master class about the relationship between art and life, with one absolutely great sequence involving a specific teacher (Oliver Masucci) revealing his soul to Kurt in order to point him in the right direction to finding his true voice.

Some films transcend their specific stories and encompass greatness because they convey universal truths and revelations about life. This is one of those films. There is so much here to explore and appreciate; repeat viewings are a must. I sometimes find it difficult to connect with foreign-language films (as I did with Cold War); I had no such problem with Never Look Away, a film which grabbed me from its beautiful but harrowing opening sequence and never let me go. ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆. 17 May 2019.