Narziss und Goldmund

I read the Hesse novel fifty years ago and can no longer remember it. However, whether this beautifully photographed film adheres closely to the original text is not important. The director and his brilliant cinematographer have created a series of scenes that engage the viewer and move effortlessly to the ultimate denouement. Actors, costumes, sets, and music are perfectly combined, and the film's editor never dwells too long on a take. The religious and personal feelings expressed are relevant to different viewers of our time. This little-known film deserves a much larger international audience.

In the film, Goldmund's sculptor master tells him how he gave up the true heartfelt art for commercial success... Well, that just about sums up the character of this feature.

Hesse's original novel is not anyway an accurate representation of history, so the film version should be also free from the pressure of historical-accuracy. But the overall presentation, from costumes, make-up, production design, cinematography, and atmosphere, are too much closer to those popular quasi-fantasy costume TV serieses such as the Tudors or Merlin. It is the world viewed through the glamour filter. I mean, such an entertainment has its place, but if that was the aim of the film makers, why did they bother with Hermann Hesse? They could just opt for a fantasy story with magicians and dragon... or something like that.

It's not terrible by all means. A large scale production, OK actors, some beautiful views... But it's ultimately too kitsch to have any true impact.

Spiritual insight can rarely be brought to the screen. Dreyer, Bresson and sometimes Rohmer achieved it, but good though this director is and visually exciting though the film is it is a banal rendering of Hermann Hesse. I do not think any of his books can be brought to the screen because all our visual pictures of his books are different to each person's inner screen: the imagination. The opening music tried to establish a ' religious ' feel and so did the scenery behind it. A brave attempt to attract an audience to Hesse, but sadly in our current era ( certainly in the UK ) this very great author has lost his appeal. Even in the 1970's when he was distorted by ' hippie ' culture and very popular he was distorted. A 4 for the director for trying.

An incredible film adaptation, with beautiful landscapes and extraordinary music. However, the story fails to captivate at all, so it becomes predictable moments. But overall it's a nice movie to watch, featuring great German performances by the young Jannis Niewöhner, Sabin Tambrea and Henriette Confurius, as well as extraordinary actors like Matthias Habich and André Hennicke.

I have not read the novel - although some who have seen the movie and have read the novel couldn't remember it - so I don't think there is a majority of those in the know. Still I can imagine that you have some more insights if you have read where this is going. And especially how the short stories really fit into each other.

That being said, the acting is good, the costumes are good and certain elements or stories work better than others. The friendship and some sexual adventures keep things interesting too - but it is sometimes hard to keep ones focus high or entirely interested in what is going to happen next. That would or could be a good thing I reckon: you never know where this is going to go entirely ... decent movie for someone like me and maybe you, who is not aware of the source matieral.