A Hidden Life: A Quietly Stunning, Slow-Burning Anti-War Epic
Terrence Malick is back, baby! The 75-year-old auteur will make a triumphant return to cinemas in mid-December with his latest project, A Hidden Life, a quietly stunning, slow-burning anti-war epic. Following up a string of abysmal strikeouts (the last of which being 2017’s Song to Song), A Hidden Life is without a doubt Malick’s best film post-Tree of Life, and it’s stained with all his poetic and lyrical hallmarks. It won’t likely convert any non-believers, but if you’re already a devotee of Malick’s, the film will restore your faith in the visionary filmmaker.
Based on real events, A Hidden Life is the story of an unsung hero, Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl), 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 Fanni (Valerie Pachner) and children that keeps his spirit alive.
Admittedly, it’s a bit odd saying that Malick is back when he’s never really left. Since 2011’s The Tree of Life, Malick has been sleepwalking through one disastrous and barely watchable feature after the next, and with there being major gaps between films — his largest being 20 years between 1978’s phenomenal Days of Heaven and 1998’s The Thin Red Line — he’s an easy filmmaker to overlook. Although, to anyone who’s ever bore witness to Malick’s greatness and ingenuity, he’s anything but forgettable. After The Tree of Life, it certainly seemed like Malick’s talents had been exhausted and pushed to their outermost boundaries, and that he would fall into quiet obscurity with his strongest work well within rearview, but then along comes A Hidden Life, a film which reminds us of his undeniable strength of evoking the spiritual through his powerful compositions.
Many of Malick’s late works reside in the abstract, without much story holding them together as they bounce through space and time, more concerned with emotionality than telling a complete story. Much of this is still true in the case of A Hidden Life, but part of what makes it feel so refreshing is Malick’s decision to return to the linear, telling a complete story (with a clear beginning, middle, and end), while also maintaining a firm focus on the story’s emotional core. The story, while familiar, feels exciting and new, and it asks an important fundamental question: Is it better to suffer injustice, or to be the one who inflicts it? It’s a film about tough choices and the hardships of doing the right thing when doing the right thing isn’t easy, and it’s one that fits perfectly within Malick’s wheelhouse due to Jägerstätter's unwavering spirituality and eventual martyrdom (which was later beatified by the Catholic Church).
Like any Malick film, the images are far and away its strongest asset, and A Hidden Life doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Filled with breathtaking vistas and postcard-perfect villages, Malick captures the surroundings in a vibrant and striking way, using a wide-angle lens to allow the indifference of the environment to swallow up our central characters, reinforcing the isolation their decision has brought on. The visuals are beautiful to the point of being overwhelming, and in the lulls within the story, they keep the viewer spellbound and engaged. Having worked with Emmanuel Lubezki on his last five pictures, the film marks a notable change in Malick’s cinematography, introducing Jörg Widmer (who had been a camera operator on some of his other films in the 2010s) as Director of Photography and fully embracing the liberation of shooting digitally. Malick’s catch-what-you-can aesthetic finds a large degree of success here, but isn’t without its rough edges (something which gives it an added charm in select moments, while taking it away in others).
The performances from August Diehl and Valerie Pachner make the film’s story palpable. The love that they share for each other is strong, both in the visual and performative sense, and their relationship is the heart of the film, beating strong and steady. Even though Franz and Fanni spend a majority of their time separated from one another, their love and support remains in the forefront as they correspond with each other through letters. August Diehl does a good job making his character’s struggle into a compelling one; however, Malick’s heavy leaning in the abstract has the tendency to make the character less human and more of a symbol. Valerie Pachner does a better job of earning pathos, as her struggles (a residual of her husband’s decision) are more deeply felt and her character feels more achingly human.
The film’s only problem is its monumental length, which doesn’t feel justified. Standing at three hours, A Hidden Life is stretched a bit too far, and winds up veering into the monotonous on more than a few occasions. This definitely feels like something that could easily be told within the confines of two hours and still have all the same beats, emotions, and power. Many scenes run on for too long, and there’s too much fat insulating this potent story, which causes the pacing to drag and detracts slightly from the its overall impact.
Length aside, A Hidden Life is still quite the achievement, and one that’s vital to Malick’s filmography. Its spiritual journey is one that is unlike any of his previous films, and it’s overall experience is one that lingers with you for some time.
Recommendation: A Hidden Life won’t convert any Malick non-believers, but it’s full of powerful moments that anyone cinephile should seek out. For Terrence Malick fans, it’s an absolute must-see.
Rating: 4 loving embraces outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!