"After an eight-year hiatus, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck returns with a historical romantic coming-of-age epic grounded through the major German history moments of the 20th century. Beginning in World War II and into the 1960s Cold War, we witness Tom Schilling again as a young man navigating the art world with love, memory, and purpose.
Shot flawlessly by Caleb Deschanel and scored by Max Richter, the film is definitely one where every frame falls perfectly into place over its three-hour runtime where no moments are wasted. You witness the passage of time and how everything starts to unfold before our protagonist’s eyes as he discovers his true purpose in life through his art and those around him. It’s the creating and realizations that truly stick in our minds after the film has ended, as von Donnersmarck directed with such sympathy and grace.
For any fan of German cinema that incorporates feelings through German-only events but never loses the true aspects of cinema and psychological condition, this film should be viewed and appreciated, much like the art that is created to save one’s soul." Tastes of Cinema