A Hidden Life (2019)

The Austrian Franz Jägerstätter, a conscientious objector, refuses to fight for the Nazis in World War II.

Director:

Terrence Malick

Writer:

Terrence Malick

Stars:

August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Maria Simon

7 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
August Diehl	...	Franz Jägerstätter
Valerie Pachner	...	Fani Jägerstätter
Maria Simon	...	Resie Schwaninger
Karin Neuhäuser	...	Rosalia Jägerstätter
Tobias Moretti	...	Fr. Fürthauer
Ulrich Matthes	...	Lorenz Schwaninger
Matthias Schoenaerts	...	Captain Herder
Franz Rogowski	...	Waldland
Karl Markovics	...	Mayor Kraus
Bruno Ganz	...	Judge Lueben
Michael Nyqvist	...	Bishop Fliesser
Wolfgang Michael	...	Eckinger
Johannes Krisch	...	Trakl - The Miller
Johan Leysen	...	Ohlendorf - The Painter
Martin Wuttke	...	Major Kiel

Storyline

Based on real events, A Hidden Life is the story of an unsung hero, Bl. Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. When the Austrian peasant farmer is faced with the threat of execution for treason, it is his unwavering faith and his love for his wife, Fani, and children that keeps his spirit alive.

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Plot Keywords:

world war two | nazi | anti nazism | death penalty | third reich | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material including violent images.

Did You Know?

Trivia

The picture draws on Franz Jägerstätter's exchange of letters with his wife Franziska, or Fani, edited by Erna Putz and published in English by Orbis Books.

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Quotes

Lorenz Schwaninger: [Talking to his daughter Fani, who is also Franz Jägerstätter's wife, about Franz's imprisonment and the resultant mistreatment that the family is facing] Better to suffer injustice than to do it.

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Crazy Credits

The title card at the end of the picture comes from the final sentence of George Eliot's "Middlemarch".

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Connections

Version of Der Fall Jägerstätter (1971)

User Reviews

Unlike anything I've ever seen.

I have never seen a film like A Hidden Life. Terrence Malick is known for his unique style, but this is something else. It is one of the most grim, harrowing, mournful films I have ever seen (it should be rated R)-and it is absolutely masterful. I can't even find words to properly describe it. This is a film that you enter, that you experience, you almost feel like you're watching a documentary. Malick's direction is absolutely one of a kind, brilliant, almost spiritual. The acting is phenomenal-August Diehl is terrific, and Valerie Pachner is spectacular, along with excellent supporting performances from all. The cinematography is astounding; jaw-droppingly gorgeous (either this or 1917 for best cinematography of the year), and James Newton Howard's score is beautiful. But what sets this film apart is its emotional brutality- it is heartbreaking, grim, and absolutely brutal. And yet, throughout all of this, the courage, faith and bravery of Franz and his wife, not to mention their three little girls and Franz's mother-is incredibly overwhelming. The film is not without flaws-it's needlessly too long, with some repetitive shots-but that does not take away from the fact that it is fantastic. An incredible film.

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight MISTER SMITH ENTERTAINMENT

Country:

USA UK Germany

Language:

English German Italian

Release Date:

17 January 2020 (UK)

Also Known As:

A Hidden Life

Filming Locations:

Studio Babelsberg, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$50,383, 15 December 2019

Gross USA:

$1,730,597

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,612,788

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, TSG Entertainment, Elizabeth Bay Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

174 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1