Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe

Audience Reviews

View More

paul d @PaulusLoZebra 04/10/2021 Maria Schrader's film is a gem. She takes us on a beautiful, lyrical trip accompanying Stefan Zweig in the last six years of his life. Josef Hader is outstanding as Zweig, forced into being a refugee from Hitler's terror despite being the most popular German writer of his era. He was tormented by many things: leaving his home and friends; the guilt of being able to escape and live relatively well because of his fame, while most other German intellectuals and German Jews suffered far worse fates than his; and by the refusal of many people to accept his silence about politics, Hitler and war. Zweig would not protest from safety, for him that would be immoral. He refused to do what today we would call "virtue signaling". See more 06/16/2020 Nice biopic. Beautiful cinematography. See more 05/29/2017 A potentially fascinating subject turned into a dull, uninsightful, dreary movie. Zweig resents the efforts he has to make to secure visas for fellow intellectuals trapped in Nazi Germany. He takes no public stand, although he is quoted as saying "Every gesture of resistance which is void of either risk or impact is nothing but a cry for recognition." Seems to me that every gesture of resistance carries with it either risk or impact to some degree. Steig -- in this movie at least -- makes no such gesture beyond trying to find some comfortable way for himself as an exile. I am interested to read other audience reactions, and willing to admit if I've missed something. See more Read all reviews

Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING