![]() ![]() The town’s racist mayor insists that Franz get in line. Once Franz is arrested, taken to a local jail and then transferred to Berlin, the film goes into something of a slow-moving whirlpool of repetitions and descending momentum. In contrast, archival footage of Hitler, both riding in a night motorcade and, in colour, clowning for the camera at the Nazi retreat known as Eagle’s Nest, are there for the brute historical facts. We are also immersed in sound - of water and wind, as well as the uplifting strains of Bach, Handel and Beethoven. Often shooting from waist-height, cinematographer Jörg Widmer views the characters with intimate reverence. ![]() ![]() While Franz is an almost allegorically pure figure, the film is an immediate and exalted experience. Therese of Avila’s quote that “the closer one approaches to God, the simpler one becomes.” Contemplating the options, he makes a simple decision: “We have to stand up to evil.” ![]() The farmer is played in the film by August Diehl, whose blond hair and cheekbones suggest an Aryan poster boy, but his instincts are instinctively pacifistic and loving. While the film may not hold the attention of younger viewers, it earns Dove’s Approval for 12+ thanks to its restraint in depicting the times of Franz Jägerstätter while eagerly displaying his profound faith.A married farmer who lived in an alpine Austrian village, Jägerstätter was conscripted for the beginning of the war in France and subsequently chose not to fight or swear allegiance to Hitler. Though no one knows how he or she will handle the situation until it’s actually faced, A Hidden Life shows the beauty of the Jägerstätters’ decision and challenges the audience to consider for themselves.Ī slow-burning exploration of faith in the face of evil, A Hidden Life has extraordinary power, wrestling with theological ideas in a time of great unrest. Modern audiences should consider to what degree they believe and what their response might be in the face of persecution, as people of faith in countries around the world still suffer the way that the Jägerstätters do. The stakes during World War II are absolutely clear, and Jägerstätter pays for his decisions… but so does his family. Malick has carefully executed his direction to make it clear that everyone has to make a choice morally and theologically no one “gets a pass” in terms of playing the middle. Audiences should be aware, if they’re unfamiliar with Malick’s work, that there is a scarcity of dialogue, an excess of mood and pensive, near lyrical action, and abundantly complex themes left for them to unpack on their own without clear answers.Įach of the characters is given some opportunity to reflect their socio-political views in regards to religion at some point or another in the film. Comparisons can be made to The Mission, Hacksaw Ridge, and Silence, but the film’s sheer length allows for more discussion of the themes as it logs in at nearly three hours long. There are few films which have as powerfully conveyed faith in the midst of persecution in the way that Terrence Malik’s A Hidden Life does. While this would be theological treatise on one hand, it is also undying love story on another level beyond the modern-day romance. A third of the film allows for their physical interaction, with the remaining two-thirds confined to flashbacks and written correspondence, highlighting their beliefs but also their deep love for each other. But the war drags on, his number is called, and Jägerstätter finds himself faced with a dilemma: does he report for active duty against his conscience or refuse to report and face the political and legal repercussions?īoth Jägerstätter (August Diehl) and his wife Fani (Valerie Pachner) have a strong understanding of what faith looks like, often quoting Scripture to each other in conversation and letters. His experience clearly leaves him distrustful of the Nazi agenda, and he returns hoping that the war will be over soon. A Hidden Life opens in 1939 when Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter leaves his young wife and children on their farm to train in the German army. ![]()
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