A HIDDEN LIFE

“A Hidden Life” sees director Terrence Malick return to a more narrative based feature after a collection of “stream of consciousness” movies that he began with his masterpiece “Tree of Life” back in 2011. While I have enjoyed these four films with differing results, after “Song to Song”, it felt like Malick had gone just about as far as he could with this style of filmmaking, so I was very pleased when it was announced that his next film, then titled “Radegund”, would see him return to a more plot heavy film.

This new film is based on historical events that occurred during World War II in St. Radegund, Austria. It is the incredible story of Franz Jägerstätter, a simple farmer, who when called up to fight in the war, refused to fight for the Nazis nor pledge allegiance to Hitler. His refusal cost both him and his family dearly, but Jägerstätter's will could not be broken, even if his body was. This simple act of resistance sees Franz jailed and regularly tortured, whilst at home his wife Fani and their two children are treated like pariahs in their local village.

While it is true that “A Hidden Life” sees Terrence Malick tackle a linear narrative for the first time in awhile, it is still presented in the mould of his post-”Tree of Life” films, so if you were not a fan of these recent films, it is fair to say that you will not have your opinion swayed here. The film is filled with stunning imagery, his floating camera constantly on the move, while hushed voice-overs explain the feelings of the people involved in their current situation. Personally, I found the subject of the film very interesting because I have always wondered how Hitler was able to get everyone to follow his will and why no one ever stood up and said “No, this isn't right”. The obvious answer is “fear” and this is shown in the film as we see what happens when Franz Jägerstätter stands up for what he believes in, and what it ultimately costs him. While Malick regularly compares Franz's sacrifice with that of Jesus, he doesn't treat his act of resistance as heroic, mainly due to what this act costs his family. Is staying true to your beliefs worthy of sacrificing your family's happiness or is this just an act of stubbornness on your behalf? There is a scene towards the end that I found very interesting when the Nazi's give Franz an out by offering him a medical position in a hospital rather than fighting. Franz questions if he still would have to pledge allegiance to Hitler and when he is told “yes” he once again refuses. His lawyers try to explain that this is madness and that God does not care what you “say” if your heart is true, but Franz still refuses. It is this moment that I myself questioned his actions as he essentially turns his back on his wife and children for his beliefs. It should be said though that Fani, his wife, stands by Franz's decision until the end.

Speaking of Fani, for me, her character is the heart of “A Hidden Life” and the true hero of the story. Yes, it is Franz's story and he goes through immense hardship, but it is brought on by his own actions whereas for Fani, she is abused and ignored by the townsfolk over something that she herself cannot control. Malick does an excellent job of presenting scenes of Fani attempting to keep the farm running, with no help other than from her sister, while bringing up her two children and shielding them from the truth of the situation. Valerie Pachner is excellent in this role and gives the strongest and most memorable performance within the film. I also loved the early scenes with her and Franz during happier times. Pachner and August Diehl, who plays Franz, have fantastic chemistry together and you really feel the love and strong connection between the two of them. Also the scenes with Franz playing with his girls are just adorable, which does add a weight to the decision he makes later in the film, and just how much it meant to him because you can see how much he loves his kids.

When “A Hidden Life” was first announced, it was stated that Malick was going to shoot the film in German, which I applauded. However this idea was ultimately scrapped, sort of, by the time the shooting of the film began. I say “sort of” because the way Malick has tackled the language issue is to have everyone speak in unsubtitled German, to create a sense of realism of the area and situation, but if it is something that we, the audience, need to hear and understand, these lines are spoken in English. Whilst it sounds a little confusing on paper, it makes perfect sense during the film, and for the most part is a success. I must admit that some of the German actors, such as Franz Rogowski, seemed to struggle a little with their English lines but in regards to the main characters, this experiment works well. All of the voice over narration is in English, and are actually based on the real letters Franz and Fani sent to one another during this time while apart.

One thing you notice while watching “A Hidden Life” is that it looks and feels like it is a Terrence Malick film. That is to be expected so why am I making a big deal about it? The reason why is because this is the first time in a long time that he is not working with his key creative team behind the scenes. This is the first time in his entire career that Jack Fisk has not served as production designer on one of his films, and for the first time since they started working together on “The New World”, Jacqueline West is not the costume designer. Not only that but Emmanuel Lubezki is not the cinematographer on “A Hidden Life” either, who had been working in that capacity with Malick since “The New World”. His camerawork and natural lighting style had become synonymous with the films of Terrence Malick that you almost didn't know where Lubezki ended and Malick began. With this new film, it is obvious just how in control Malick is of his images within his films because he is working with a new cinematographer, Jorge Widmar, on “A Hidden Life” and yet the images are quintessentially those from Terrence Malick. He just sees the world with different eyes and sees beauty in the usually mundane. This film is no different, as it is a visual feast for the eyes, although I must admit I do wish that not every scene was shot with a wide angled lens.

While there is a lot to like about “A Hidden Life”, the film does have its fair share of problems, with the main one being its extended running time. At seven minutes shy of three hours, this is Malick's longest film to date, and unfortunately it feels bloated. I believe that with some extended trimming, that “A Hidden Life” could be a much stronger film as the story doesn't necessitate such a large running time. The opening hour of life on the farm is sublime; I loved every second of it, but it is during the second hour where we are witness to Franz being repeatedly pushed around that mental fatigue starts to set in and you begin to fidget and look at your watch. The repetitive nature of Franz's ordeal begins to tire on the audience, and there is only so many times you can watch the poor man go through the same thing before it loses its impact. The film does come good in the third hour though as questions are raised about free will, faith and the worth of Franz's rebellion. I briefly mentioned the wide angled lens above, and while yes the images are beautiful in this film, I felt this lens let Malick down during the scenes where Franz was incarcerated. His cell looked massive like he had the living space of a five star hotel, and it wasn't until we got an overhead shot of it, that we see just how cramped Franz's living conditions really are. My other big problem with this film is that you never really “feel” the war. I understand that this is not a World War II story per se but rather a story of one man during a time of war, standing up for what he believes in, but personally I felt that you needed to feel the power of the actual war that Franz was protesting against. I am sure that budget constraints play a part in this, as we sometimes hear planes flying overhead but never see them, and the war is represented, in a way, via archive footage edited into the feature, but for me, it just isn't enough. You do not feel the danger, the immediacy nor the approaching touch of this war.

Overall, there is a lot to like about “A Hidden Life” although it is far from perfect. As usual for a Terrence Malick film the visuals are just stunning, but the overinflated running time do take their toll on the viewer. It was fantastic to see this great director tackle a linear narrative again, but I would be lying if I didn't want him to take one extra step back and make another film in the style of his first three films. The film poses an interesting question to Franz's ideal which is that it is “better to suffer injustice than to do it”, but does this still stand true if your loved ones also have to suffer because of it? As usual, I look forward to the next film from Terrence Malick which he has already finished filming (it is titled “The Last Planet” and is the re-telling of several episodes in the life of Christ), but I hope that the post production schedule isn't as long as the three years it took to finish “A Hidden Life”.

3.5 Stars.