A Hidden Life
Director: Terence Malick
Run time: 2 hours, 54 minutes
I list the film's running time first, because in a Terence Malick movie, such information is vital ! (Even so, I had to take a bathroom break two hours in). This true story of an Austrian farmer's refusal to pledge allegiance to Adolf Hitler and fight in his war is a meditative look at one man's personal conviction and the consequences it has for everyone around him.
This film is Malick at his best, an unfortunately, at his most self-indulgent. The first 40 minutes is a masterful re-creation of the details of rural life in 1940s Austria. I haven't seen such an authentic depiction of the hard work of running a farm since 2017's Les guardiennes ("The Guardians") from France. His family life and relationship with his wife are likewise genuine, lyrical and beautifully-shot. (The soundtrack adds depth to the beautiful images, too).
Scenes of Franz (August Diehl) discussing his moral convictions with various members of his family, the clergy, and the community play more like extended monologues -- a familiar characteristic of Malick's method. What is uncharacteristic is his penchant to allow these supporting players to shout, repeat themselves and generally overact. One sees scant evidence of Franz as an active participant in these discussions. Of course, his moral stance is an implicit challenge to their own convictions, hence the extreme resistance he engenders. But still … less can be more.
The scenes between Franz his wife Fani (the excellent Valerie Pachner) reveal an intense and abiding devotion. His mother gets too much screen time for the little she has to contribute, as do Franz's fellow inmates, not to mention the many beatings and humiliations he suffers in a Berlin prison. With the conclusion inevitable, the focus on the minutiae of his sham trial seems pointless, despite giving us the pleasure of seeing the late great Swiss actor Bruno Ganz one last time.
Malick's themes touch on another meditative (and long) movie about keeping one's faith in the face of intense torment: Martin Scorsese's "Silence"-- a superior movie, IMHO.
Rest assured, Malick's latest is grounded in reality more than his recent work ("To the Wonder" was the last one I sat through...and regretted). Literally grounded: There is a lot of digging, plowing, and clawing at the dirt here). There is much to admire in the filmmaking. It is a surprise that such a lush production has received zero accolades at the end of the year.
