A Hidden Life (4 Stars)

This is the true story of Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer who lived from 1907 to 1943. When the film was being planned, the director Terrence Malick intended to make it in German. At the last minute it was decided to make it in English, even though most of the actors were German. I personally think this was the wrong decision. Today I watched the original English language version, but I feel tempted to watch the dubbed German version next week.

Franz lived in Radegund, a small village high in the mountains, close to the German border. Life was hard, and it seems that the farming community was working mostly to sustain itself, rather than to sell its products in other areas. He was married with three daughters. His wife's sister lived with them and also worked on the farm.

When the war broke out in 1939 he was given basic military training, and then sent home. He didn't expect to have to fight. In World War Two farmers were exempted from conscription. However, many of the men in the village volunteered to join the army. Not Franz. He was having doubts about the war. There were newspaper reports about the glorious victories with photos of bodies lying in the street. He was disgusted. He made no secret of his feelings about the war and about Hitler himself. He refused to use the Hitler greeting, and in one early scene he's greeted with "Heil Hitler" and replies "Pfui Hitler". My German readers will probably chuckle at that.

Increasingly, Franz was considered a traitor by his fellow villagers. His wife also became an outcast. Even his sister-in-law turned against him.

Franz was eventually called up to fight in 1943, when the war was going badly. He reported to duty, but he refused to take the oath of allegiance to Hitler. He was arrested, tortured, tried and executed.

This is a very religious film. Franz Jägerstätter's sincere belief as a Roman Catholic is in the foreground throughout the film. The local priest shared Franz's views on Hitler and the war, but he didn't have the same convictions. After Franz was found guilty of treason he was told he would be spared if he signed an oath of allegiance. The priest told Franz, "God sees your heart, so sign the document and think the opposite". That wasn't good enough for Franz. It was important to him that everybody knew that he felt.

The film lasts almost three hours. It wasn't necessary to make the film so long, since very little happens, but it makes the film better. The film is intense and melodramatic. It's overwhelming with its religious imagery, not to mention the stunning Austrian scenery. We're immersed into Franz Jägerstätter's thoughts, including his religiousness.

I am no supporter of the Catholic Church, but I have never made fun of a Catholic or tried to talk him out of his faith. Any religious belief is good, as long as it doesn't lead to hatred for others. In fact, I feel envious of those who are naive enough to have a simple belief like Franz Jägerstätter. He helped out in his village church, sweeping the floor, never for a moment doubting that he was doing right.

Was it the religion that made him a good person, or his good nature that made him religious? That's impossible to answer. I distinguish between religion and religiousness. Religion is what's written in the holy book, and religiousness is the way a person puts it into practise. Religion is the theory, religiousness is the practise. A person's religiousness can be better or worse than his religion. A good person will pick out the best parts in a holy book, the parts that tell him to love others. A bad person will quote the bad parts of a holy book, using them as an excuse to hate others.

One thing I like about "A Hidden Life" is that it's unique in being a film about disliking Hitler that has nothing to do with the Jews. That wasn't an issue for Franz. There were no Jews in Radegund, and he probably didn't know about the way Jews were suffering. He had enough other reasons to object to Hitler.