Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life stars August Diehl as Franz, a Catholic farmer who refuses to serve the nazis during WWII. Franz and his wife Fani (Valerie Pancher), along with their three daughters, his mother, and her sister, live a pastoral life in the Austrian countryside; scything the fields, tending livestock, and attending church. They frolic in the tall grass and chase baby pigs. Their lives are idyllic. When Austria is annexed in 1938 and Franz is drafted in 1943, he is expected to join the war effort. He's spent these years contemplating the war and chooses to conscientiously object. Refusing the nazis is a jail sentence and Franz is spirited away from his family and bucolic existence. What's unique about a Hidden Life is that Franz's moral position is scarcely explored. What's investigated, at a nearly three hour runtime, are the consequences and resolve of Franz's decision. In true Terrence Malick fashion, the dialogue is sparse, deferring to the imagery to tell the story. The film is mostly shot on 12mm, creating an ethereal feel of the panoramic landscapes and forces the camera in very close when filming the characters. This intimacy allows the picture to illustrate his choice of imprisonment over the agrarian home-life of the pasture. We experience his resolve in the face of pressure from leaders, lawmakers, clergy, and family, witnessing the repercussions to both Franz and his family. We're reminded that Franz could be released at any time, if only he were to pledge his allegiance to Hitler. To a man of such resolve, martyrdom is the result of faith.
Review of A Hidden Life
