A Hidden Life (2019)

There is a scene near the end of A Hidden Life that reminded me what makes auteur Terrence Malick such a remarkable film maker. He has the ability to communicate things so clearly and complexly to his audience without having to tell us. His work is the epitome of "show don't tell. " He crafts a small scene near the end of this epic film where everything is said without words, and we are to understand who we are and how we might be complicit in evil, and it is profound. 

Terrence Malick attempts to tell us the story of the life and death of real life hero Franz Jaegerstaetter, an Austrian conscientious objector who refused to swear allegiance to Hitler or fight in WWII on behalf of Germany. He portrays his idealistic pastoral life as some of the most gorgeous cinema you'll see all year. He fills his foggy mountains with a joy of innocence, love, and true spirit. Then he slowly begins to insert a sense of dread. His Franz begins to feel the pressures of the world come down on the life he has built and he faces a choice one that only he puts on himself. To the rest of his village and later his country, there is no choice. But he knows better and it is through his commitment to that choice that he transforms those around him.

But his power goes beyond that. Back to the scene I mentioned at the beginning. He is questioned by a nazi officer who implores him to see that his act of resistance accomplishes nothing, that in fact by not taking his place in the nazi order he is leaving space for someone worse to fill it. But Franz holds fast and as he is ushered out to his trial the officer uncomfortably sits in Franz' chair, wringing his hands, and we, like he, are fully aware that no matter how we convince ourselves of our justifications for our choices, we are complicit.

A Hidden Life is a powerful film of true beauty. Malick's work can often get lost in his excesses. A Hidden Life is truly long but there is little to no excess here. Each shot, scene, moment, word is powerful and beautiful. He moves us through Franz' peaceful world into the sinking fear as his world turns against him, and finally into the true horror of outright nazism, where he finds his resolve.

August Diehl is remarkable as Franz proving to us that such a man could be as strong as he is. Valerie Pachner as his wife Franziska is also strong as she is left to pick up all the pieces of continuing on in light of losing everything. Together they help build the world of A Hidden Life making it such a powerful story.

Perhaps it was Malick's desire to do right by the Jaegerstaetters which made A Hidden Life my favourite of his work. His lyrical style doesn't carry him away but keeps him connected instead to this story of the sacrifice of real heroes. And it is one of the most beautiful films you'll see this year.

A Hidden Life
Staring: August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Michael Nyqyist, Mattias Schoenaerts, Bruno Ganz
Writer/Director: Terrence Malick