While we hear the words of faith in Franz’s letters to Fani and in Fani’s prayers for Franz, it’s almost as if the sign on the prison wall, “speaking prohibited,” is the film’s central theme. In fact, there’s very little dialogue, preaching or otherwise, in the whole three-hour film. Given the central role faith plays in the film, one might expect it to be a bit more preachy. Even so, he holds fast to his faith, and his wife holds fast to hers. Both warn what his obstinance might bring to bear on his vulnerable family. Apparently, it’s a decision that still baffles people today, especially the film critics.įor example, in a review for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers faults Malick for giving audiences, quote, “very little to help us understand the man behind the saint” and next to nothing about “the thought process that helped Franz hold steadfast.” Apparently for Travers, devout Christian faith is “very little.” In reality, by portraying Franz’s devout Christian faith so clearly, Malick has told audiences all we need to know.īefore his imprisonment, Franz seeks counsel from his local priest and eventually the bishop. Not only does the film powerfully portray the suffering Franz is forced to endure, but how his decision to refuse the oath baffles nearly everyone else around him. Ultimately, Franz Jägerstätter was imprisoned, tortured, and ultimately, executed. His worst fears are realized when he’s called up for military service but refuses to swear the required oath to the Führer. When Franz hears about Hitler’s conquests, he begins to worry. There, Franz, his wife Fani, and their three small daughters, faithfully farm their land and faithfully attend the local Catholic Church. Malick, a director known for transportive cinematography, takes viewers into the remote Austrian village of St. Rod Dreher, senior editor at the American Conservative, has called “A Hidden Life,” “the best evocation of the gospel ever put to film.” That’s a serious claim to make. As he mills about the prison courtyard with his fellow inmates, two words loom large on the stone wall that fences them in: “Sprechen Verboten.” Speaking prohibited. A substantial part of Terrence Malick’s latest movie “A Hidden Life” takes place in a German prison where the film’s protagonist, a real historical figure now considered a Catholic saint, Franz Jägerstätter, is being held in prison for refusing to swear a loyalty oath to Hitler.

Franz crisis of conscience