A Hidden Life

A Hidden Life, the new three hour movie from Terrance Malick that details the martyrdom of Franz Jagerstatter, is a spectacular piece of film-making.

Jagerstatter was an Austrian farmer, married and with three children, when he was called up to the German Army in 1943. All Austrian soldiers at that time had to pledge an oath of loyalty to Hitler, and most did. But Jagerstatter could not.

This film looks at the way Jagerstatter and his wife come to that decision, and how they deal with the painful ramifications. It focuses on the implications of hidden acts of nobility, referencing the idea multiple times that no one will ever hear of Jagerstatter's sacrifice, so what is the point?

The movie is shot in Malick's signature style of lingering focus on grand vistas and intimate details. Nobody fills the background and edges of a story visually than Malick, though his slow pace and deliberate pauses may frustrate some.  It is set mainly in the Austrian Alps, and the movie is utterly gorgeous.

The story is not moved at the speed of action or even narrative, but of thought, contemplation, and prayer. Psalms and sacred paintings sound and hang in the background of many scenes.

The most profound scene for me was a church painter who confesses that his depictions of Jesus only cause admiration, not imitation. One day, he says, he will have the courage to paint a true Jesus. But not yet.

There is perhaps a danger of the main character in this movie being admired and not imitated. But I believe it is one of the finest explorations of faith and sacrifice I have seen on film, and felt entirely convicted by the true stance of this family.