This movie is based on the true story of an Austrian farmer who refused military service for the Nazi state in World War II. His resistance emerged from his deep Christian faith, which Malick brilliantly contextualizes in the breathtaking natural environment, the dignity of human labor, and a loving family. This is a very long movie, with many landscapes and images of village homes, the church, farm-work, and prisons. These images show us the whole life-world within which Franz made his choice. It is not for all viewers; but even if you are neither a Christian nor a pacifist, this movie can touch you deeply.
Review of A Hidden Life
