A Hidden Life
2019
****½
Director: Terrence Malick
Cast: August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Maria Simon, Karin Neuhäuser, Tobias Moretti, Bruno Ganz, Ulrich Matthes, Franz Rogowski, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Nyqvist
Aware that it could cost him his life, Franz Jägerstätter, a devoutly Catholic Austrian farmer, refuses to fight for the Nazis or swear an oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler. Terrence Malick's long but powerful and beautiful drama about moral courage and defiance (and manual labour) is based on a true story. The narrative is clearer than in most of Malick's output, but this is still unmistakably his film; the dreamy atmosphere, stunning visuals, and whispery voiceover are giveaways. The cast is mostly German-speaking, and while the background chatter remains in their native language, the dialogue and narration are in English. August Diehl and Valerie Pachner give excellent performances.
