Release date: 13th December 2019 Run time: 174 minutes Certificate: PG-13
First with The Thin Red Line (1998) and now with A Hidden Life, Terrence Malick has made two of the greatest and most powerful World War II films of all time, as well as two of the most unique. Both handle the devastation of war with great empathy whilst also drilling deep into the very core of humanity, something Malick has done ever since his feature film debut, Badlands, and an ability that is matched by very few other directors in history. He stands on the same level as the late great Ingmar Bergman in this respect (and both men's passion and analysis of religion only strengthens this); A Hidden Life is just another prime example of his gargantuan ability.
A Hidden Life tells the true story of Franz Jägerstätter (in a superb performance by August Diehl), an Austrian conscientious objector during World War II. We follow him at first in the idyllic mountain village where he works and lives with his wife, Fani (the equally superb Valerie Pachner), and their three children. Their life is happy and pure, enjoying a good relationship with their small community, and their familial love is clear to see from the very first scenes. At first Franz is called away for a handful of months for basic training in 1939 and on his return and with France surrendering, there is hope and expectation that the war will soon end and he will resume his simple life. The rest, as they say, is history and as the war continues, Austrian men are called up for active duty and required to swear an oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler. Here a great portion of the dramatic heft lies as we see Franz reject this oath and question the very ideals and morals of humanity, under the spotlight of his strong Catholic belief ("If God gives us free will, we're responsible for what we do") and all in the face of being ostracized by his fellow villagers.
Malick's screenplay is sparingly used, mirroring The Tree of Life (2011), and monologues are often played over a number of scenes, characters questioning their role in the war and showing their inner turmoil. It is indicative of the film as a whole and generally as Malick as a director, especially his work in the 2000s, and will put many off. There is an aimless feel to A Hidden Life which might grate for some, particularly with an almost 3 hour runtime, but for Malick devotees it will feel comforting, the familiar floating, transcendental feel we have seen before. The film may have benefitted from a stronger structure; a war film perhaps needs a clearer plot as opposed to something like The Tree of Life. The screenplay nevertheless is impressive and asks the kind of questions that wouldn't feel out of place in some of the greatest philosophical or spiritual texts.
Jörg Widmer returns as the director of photography and showcases why he is the modern choice for Malick's cinematography needs. A Hidden Life is a truly beautiful film, showcasing the jaw-dropping scenery of the Austrian mountains in all their splendour and even managing to find beauty in the bleakest settings; dark and decrepit jail cells being enriched, even slightly, by rays of light from outside. The camerawork is balletic and sweeps close to character's faces from low angles, enriching their emotions (there is even time for a couple of intense first-person view shots). The sound design amplifies the beauty of the natural world as birds sing and leaves rustle and James Newton Howard's original score, along with pieces of classical music, fits perfectly with this. It is at times mournful, at times hopeful, but always spiritual and filled with love.
Above all else, A Hidden Life is a film about bravery in the face of evil and is inspirational from the first minute to the last. It is a film that is historically set in the 1940s but still has meaning in the present day in terms of humans being complicit in discrimination and the necessity of people to stand up strong with their righteous principles.
4.5/5
To make a World War Two film feel unique and refreshing is an impressive feat but Terrence Malick has achieved exactly that. Intimate and personal but also grandiose and sweeping, speaking to every human with its questions of love, spirituality, morality and bravery.
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