Like the ebb and flow of the waves of the Baltic Sea that rhythmically mark the seasons of Andreas and Martin's life together, Ein Weg (Paths/The Path) is slow moving, sometime almost glacial, but with a broody energy that keeps the film driving forward. This is a subtle and powerfully melancholic work; it is wrapped in a visual and tonal drabness, but the elegance and colours of life shine through with a wistful playfulness if you let go of the resistance you feel toward the film's apparent inertia, and allow the narrative to carry you through the story of these men's lives together. Whilst this film deals with love and loss, life's moments of lightness and its challenges, togetherness and the unwinding of a once great partnership, it is not a political piece, and tries neither to romanticise nor demonise the state of the gay man's plight in modern era. This is not necessarily a film for the young and hopeful, nor for those looking for reassurance that life will always resemble the moments captured in selfies and family photos. It will however resonate with those who have spent long years with a partner, and those who have had some time to step back and appreciate the beauty in all the weather that life's seasons bring.
Review of Paths
