August Diehl

Valerie Pachner

Maria Simon

Karin Neuhäuser

Tobias Moretti

Ulrich Matthes

Matthias Schoenaerts

Michael Nyqvist

Franz Rogowski

Karl Markovics

Bruno Ganz

Wolfgang Michael

Johannes Krisch

Martin Wuttke

Johan Leysen

Waldemar Kobus

Sophie Rois

Alexander Fehling

Dimo Alexiev

Max Mauff

Nicholas Reinke

Alexander Radszun

Chris Theisinger

Ida Muttschlechner

Ermin Sijamija

Thomas Mraz

Sarah Born

Robin Oberhollenzer

Max Malatesta

Johannes Nussbaum

Joel Basman

Maria Weger

Aennie Lade

Mark Waschke

Felix Römer

Andro Sarishvili

Maria Stadler

Levan Khurtsia

Markus Schwärzer

Ulrich Brandhoff

Michael Steinocher

Leo Baumgartner

Oliver Pezzi

Dieter Kosslick

Bernd Hölscher

Christian Sengenwald

Moritz Katzmair

Amber Shave

Barbara Stampfl

Johannes Gabl

Katja Lechthaler

Monika Lennartz

Horst Saller

Jürgen Prochnow

Leonard Kunz

Adolf Hitler

Terrence Malick

James Newton Howard

Jörg Widmer

Brad Engleking

David Forshee

William Edouard Franck

Bob Kellough

Frank Kaminski

Christian Kuss

Minna Choi

Valerie Strattan Guerra

Bethan Kellough

Xander Rodzinski

Matthew Thomas

Shane Reid

Rehman Nizar Ali

Anja Dihrberg

Sebastian T. Krawinkel

Steve Summersgill

Yeşim Zolan

Lisy Christl

Miki Emmrich

Marcus Loges

Bill Pohlad

Yi Wei

Jini Durr

Colton Williamson

Scott Kirby

Dennis Becker

Alexander Sachariew

Laura Nathalie Naschlenas

Reiner Bajo

Jan Böhme

Stephen Gamache

Cole Slinker

Kelsey Hockmuller

Lorenzo Viti

Janosch Voss

Ilko Petkow

Axel Scholz

Volker Langholz

Nina Büttner

Markus Bensch

Andreas Kispert

Simon Daniel

Michele Priano

Milena Bomalick

Dorthe Wølner-Hanssen

Ellie Kemps

Anna Brunstein

Philipp Kramer

Stephen Urata

Bastien Benkhelil

Dusty Albertz

Jasper Brandt

Henning Backhaus

Bryce Tibbey

Stefanie Übelhör

Meredith Rowe

Peter Naguib

Enzo Enzel

Annika Kiel

Philipp Hübner

Johanna Zey

Konrad Betschart

Andrew Pasaol

Marcelo Alves

Diana Bors

Oliver Kuhlmann

Sebastian Hanusch

Etienne Haug

Meike Schlegel

Katja Dotzauer

Henning Paulmann

Natalia Riede

Liz Kreyenberg

Susanne Stroh

Emily Abel

Waldemar Pokromski

Valeska Schitthelm

Claudia Humburg

Lisa Pfau

Ines Ransch

Dana Bieler

Irina Schwarz

Sabine Schumann

Heike Eger

Catja Monteleoni

Hedi Mayr-Hassler

Alisza Pfeifer

Isabella Krämer

Lauren Mikus

Pete Anthony

Jon Kull

History

Drama

A Hidden Life

Studio Babelsberg

Elizabeth Bay Productions

Aceway Productions

Germany

United States of America

An audiovisual beauty like all Malick's films although this is definitely the first one that has a more interesting story to tell since Tree of Life but unfortunately in my opinion its own ambition and pretense of doing something more epic plays against it because A Hidden Life it's a film that greatly extends its stay.

Although Malick doesn't change the formula he has been using both narrative and visually, this story manages to feel different perhaps because unlike films like To The Wonder, Knight of Cups and Song to Song, Malick goes back in time and the visual aura of the film has a more distinctive touch.

Again Malick doesn't seems to demand a lot from his actors because once again the romantic situations feel repetitive but as I said being a more relevant story, this time the interactions feel deeper.

Here the problem as I said is the duration. The film is just a few minutes away from being three hours long and because of the narrative's shape those three hours feels like too much.
I cannot deny that A Hidden Life is a beautiful film, it's a really good film but it's a really long one.

I mean, I completely enjoy it, I would see it again without a doubt but I could definitely cut an hour from it to make it more agile, although I understand this was Malick's vision and desire for the audiences to experience his film.

I repeat, I liked it a lot, it's Malick's most rewarding work since Tree of Life and it's a film that any serious movie lover will enjoy or at least it will give it the chance to be marvel by it.

SWITCH.

Terrence Malick is a filmmaker whose primary concern is the sanctity of the human soul, and in this instance, he has chosen a time and a place where that sanctity was under tremendous threat, and a story of two people sacrificing themselves to protect it. 'A Hidden Life' is a remarkable and uncompromising film, a work of hope and sorrow and belief in the human spirit. Even with the foundation of a true story, Malick still continues to experiment, to follow his instincts and find a thematic journey more important than a narrative one. At nearly three hours, with almost no dialogue, a slow and considered pace and Malick's propensity for aesthetic indulgence, it certainly won't be a film for everyone, but those able to tap into it will find a deep and profound experience. 'A Hidden Life' isn't Terrence Malick returning to form. It's another step in the evolution and exploration of one of the most singular filmmakers the cinema has ever seen.
- Daniel Lammin

Read Daniel's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-a-hidden-life-terrence-malicks-stunning-ode-to-the-power-of-kindness

Matthew Brady

“If God gives us free will, we are responsible for what we do or what we fail to do.”

Ambitious, but strangely simple.

A true and powerful story told in a very Malick way. Based on letters written in Austria during Hitler’s early reigns; ‘A Hidden Life’ follows a husband and wife objecting the Nazi party - which unfortunately leads to the husbands imprisonment and his wife being persecuted by villagers, all friends and neighbours for decades - all become enemies.

The camera work and cinematography were all excellent, of course with it being a Terrance Malick movie. Free flowing camera movement that often drifts around the actors and looms over these people's lives - often getting up close and personal. There are some powerhouse performances from everyone as Malick effectively lets the actors work freely by improvising on the spot and being present in the moment. So we get to experience Franz and his wife Franziska (along with their children) living in the present and how beautifully poetic it can be. So we can briefly live the life of these people before the horrors of war ruin everything. The little moments we take for granted.

Apparently whenever an actor gets dry on camera, Malick would gently push them forward and tell them to keep going - in terms of activity and discovering new things while losing a train of thought and reverie in character. I think this is the reason why the actors always give such raw and natural performances. I would imagine it also helps them develop and personally attach themselves to the character in bolder lengths, because they can never do wrong.

Although it didn’t need to be three hours long and could have easily been 2 hours. I had issues with how long the movie stayed in one setting, as it dragged the pacing down a bit. I must admit there was a point where I nearly dozed off, not because it was boring, but prior to watching I had a long day that pretty much drained me and the movie at times didn’t help. However there was a point mid way through where the movie woke me up, which is incredibly rare for an art house movie.

I’ll give Malick credit, nobody makes movies like he does. Love it or hate it, but no other director has come close to finding the inner heart and soul in nature that’s with human beings. I think it’s easy to look at his work and label them as “pretentious”. His approach to narration is incredibly jumbled, but more truthful than movie dialogue, because we don’t mean what we say most of the time; a rambling mess. I often find the people who dismiss him and think they know about ‘keeping it real’, are the pretentious ones.

The unique thing about this movie and his previous work, when the movie is over you start to notice nature and I really do mean notice nature - something you would have never done before. Such as: grass and leaves dancing in the wind, natural light, the warmth of the sun touching your skin, and the smell of nature. It’s incredibly compelling how a movie can activate my senses that I haven’t experience in a very long time, dating back to childhood.

“Nostalgia is a powerful feeling; it can drown out anything.”

Overall rating: A welcome return to form.

Stephen Campbell

Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots

Terrence Malick lovers are going to mesmerized by “A Hidden Life,” his latest, and perhaps even greatest, work in years. As a huge fan of the director’s films, this three hour ethereal work of art plays like an extended dream and is textbook Malick perfection. But for those who find his films trying rather than celebrating his cinematic genius, this will likely prove to be yet another bore.

Based on real events, this film is the story of a mostly unknown heroic Austrian farmer, Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl), who refused to fight for the Nazis during World War II. This conscientious objector is ostracized by his village and eventually is threatened with execution for treason. Franz eventually is thrown into jail, but he never falters with his brave stance. Instead, he stands for what he feels is morally right, clinging to his faith and the love for his wife Fanni (Valerie Pachner) and children to keep his spirit afloat.

Admittedly, the film is much longer than it should be. There isn’t much more than 30 minutes of story, but it’s told with a philosophical beauty that eases the passage of time. That’s what makes the film an experience instead of a literal, traditional tale. Jörg Widmer’s cinematography is masterful with a lyrical, visual poetry. Wide-angle shots of waving wheat fields and snow-capped peaks of the Austrian Alps shrouded in the clouds are jaw-dropping. The film is a collection of sensory visuals that will make viewers feel as if they’re right there, reaching out to touch the just-rained-on grass or struggling with the animals on the farm. I could smell the thunderstorm. I could feel the crisp mountain air.

Malick is a complicated director who isn’t easy to endure much less like, but his storytelling is grandiose yet takes pause at the simplest aspects of life and survival. This is not a film for the impatient, as there is a lot of plowing, whispering, and slow-moving, indulgent visuals. It’s best to think of “A Hidden Life” as a meditation on morality, conviction, and existence, or a timely theme of spiritual struggles that arise from fighting for your beliefs and doing what you know is right.

Perhaps this is what the devout refer to as a “religious experience.” I am not a spiritual person, but the beauty of this film moved me.

English

Deutsch

A HIDDEN LIFE | Official Trailer [HD] | FOX Searchlight