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Nearly half a century lies between this film and the only previous Terrence Malick I'd seen, BADLANDS, which I admire very much and have watched a number of times. As might be expected, he's a very different film maker now. I found A HIDDEN LIFE something of a puzzle. It is undoubtedly beautiful to watch, even as its subject matter gets progressively grimmer. Its religiosity was something of a challenge to me, as was its stilted dialogue. Its story is the familiar one of a man suffering for what he believes. It is the story of John Procter, the hero of Arthur Miller's play THE CRUCIBLE; it is the story of Ibsen's Dr Stockmann, in the play ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. And of course it's the story of Jesus Christ. There is a tragic grandeur to all of these, and, whatever my reservations about it, there is tragic grandeur to A HIDDEN LIFE. My husband found it unbearably pretentious. I can see why. But I admire the way that this film isn't like anyone else's, that Malick has, in the course of the last half-century, found a way of working that delivers something unique. It certainly won't be to everyone's taste, and aspects of it test one's patience. All the same, I was glad to have seen it, not least for the cinematography and the performances, and the retelling of a story that we all still need to hear in these troubled times.

Another Terrance Malick film but - thank God - it's not like his last ones. He is back. I was bored of the idea of another Anti-Nazi film but I'm telling you it's not. This is a film about pride, bravery, principles, choice, humanity. As usual from Malick: great shots and cinematography, great monologues, such an incredible soundtrack that deserved an Oscar nomination (also the cinematography). But still the editing got me confused at some scenes, it was a weakness point. The cast are all good especially August Diehl & Valerie Pachner. No cliches, no heroes, just a simple man whose opinion won't affect the war and no one would listen to it, but he is still standing for his principles to make himself and his family proud of himself as a human. A Hidden Life of a hidden family. Some people could get bored quickly so it's simply not for them. They have a lot of films for their taste. It's ok everyone has a taste. Just enjoy and let people enjoy.

"Better to suffer injustice than to do it..."

I don't have many words tonight. A lot of thoughts and emotions. I didn't expect a perfect score from me this year, but I am just floored and overwhelmed by the visual poetry and spiritual magnitude of it all. It feels transcendent. With a beauty that permeates all the way to one's own relationship with God.

Based on true events, A Hidden Life is Malick's most direct exploration of faith since To the Wonder, and perhaps his most fully realized work yet. It is an allegorical story about a man of extraordinary faith. A real-life parable of perseverance and free will. A spiritual journey centered in not just our humanity, but on what it means to truly walk the steps of Christ. And on what it means to choose what we believe is right and just, when we are given every reason not to.

Malick doesn't glorify the central character's ideals or deeds. Rather we focus on the humble threads of love and the storm they weather--and the romantic chemistry is perfect. August Diehl & Valerie Pachner are both exceptional and so incredibly in love. Seconds into the film and you already know it. Pachner gives a particularly moving performance deserving of an Oscar nomination (she is in SF this week doing Q&A's!). Every touch, glance, or embrace between these two is personal, powerful, believable. You can see the stress leave their shoulders each time they first see each other. Sincerity fills the screen as their thoughts, worries, desires, and personal bond resurface in the context of God.

The cinematography is superb, with DP notably credited to Jörg Widmer and not Emmanuel Lubezki. There is a rare seamless quality achieved blending in old footage as well as in choosing to entirely forgo subtitles in a film spoken in equal parts English and German. The music is the best I've heard all year. A beautiful traditional theme by James Newton Howard (Blood Diamond, TDK) with Handel, Dvorak, and other great classical works mixed in.

A Hidden Life is a film that may stay with you for some time. This is quintessential Malick, joining the ranks of The Thin Red Line and The Tree of Life. Go in with an open mind and heart, ready for a spiritual experience.

Saw this in Toronto and felt privileged to be in a world where a movie like this is made and a story like this is told. Based on letters written between a husband and wife while he is in jail for being a conscientious objector in Hitler's Austria. So heartbreaking to see how the village where he lived, all friends and neighbours for decades - all become his enemies as he is the only one willing to say No. And yet he is strong in his convictions and sustained by love.

Always an explicitly Christian filmmaker, writer/director Terrence Malick has never been didactic, dogmatic, or puritanical. No matter how lofty his vision, his films remain always rooted in the human soul, in the tradition of Heidegger's existential phenomenology, which focuses on the ontology of the earthly Dasein ("being-there") rather than the epistemology of the Lebenswelt ("lifeworld") - even the most overtly metaphysical scenes in Malick remain focused on the physical. And A Hidden Life, which may be his most ostensibly Christian work yet, is quintessentially Malickian, featuring many of his most identifiable stylistic traits (whispered voice-overs, sweeping cameras spinning around non-stationary characters, the beauty of nature contrasted with the ugliness of humanity). Malick's films are about the search for transcendence in a compromised and often evil world, and, telling the true story of the Austrian conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter, A Hidden Life is no different. And how good is it? Very, very, very good. Not quite La delgada línea roja (1998)/El árbol de la vida (2011) good, but certainly Malas tierras (1973)/Días del cielo (1978)/El Nuevo Mundo (2005) good. This is cinema at its most sublimely pious, a supremely talented master-auteur operating at the height of his not inconsiderable powers. You don't watch A Hidden Life. You let it enter your soul.

Austria, 1938. In the bucolic village of Sankt Radegund, peasant farmer Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl) lives a simple but blissful life with his wife Fani (Valerie Pachner) and their family. A devout Christian, he's unenthusiastic about the looming war, despite its widespread popularity in the village. Called up to basic training, he's away for several months, but when France surrenders in June 1940, it's thought that the war will soon end, and he's sent home without having been deployed. However, as time goes by, and as the war shows no signs of ending, his opposition grows ever more ingrained, to the point where his family are being harassed. Eventually, he's conscripted, but refuses to swear an oath of allegiance to Hitler, and so is arrested and imprisoned.

Needless to say, Malick fashions this material into a thematically rich mosaic. To a certain extent, all his films deal, to one degree or another, with the notion of the corruption of Eden, and Hidden Life is as literal as Thin Red Line and New World in this respect. Sankt Radegund is an earthly paradise, hidden in the embrace of the nearby mountains, fed by the River En (the film was originally called simply Radegund, before adopting the George Eliot quote as its title). However, as the war takes hold, the village comes under attack, not by bombs, but by ideological complicity. The harmony and idealism have been corrupted, not by Franz's refusal to comply, by everyone else's insistence on compliance. The village at the end of the film is an infinitely different place from that at the start, a tainted place. Eden has fallen.

Franz doesn't resist the Nazis because he wants to spearhead a movement or because of political high-mindedness. His reasons are simpler - he believes that God teaches us to resist evil, and as a great evil, he must therefore resist Nazism. There's nothing egotistical and precious little that's political in this stance. It's not even a question of personal morality. In an important exchange with Judge Lueben (the late, great Bruno Ganz), Franz is asked, "Do you have a right to do this?", to which he responds, "Do I have a right not to?" His resistance is ingrained in his very soul. Indeed, watching him head willingly toward his tragic fate, turning the other cheek to the prison guards who humiliate and torture him, he becomes something of a Christ figure, with his time in prison not unlike the Passion. An important conversation concerning this is when he is speaking to Ohlendorf (Johan Leysen), a cynical artisan who is restoring the local church's artwork. Ohlendorf laments that he must work not on images of Christ's suffering as it was, but on the sanitised version desired by the clergy, and he lacks the courage to do otherwise; "I paint their comfortable Christ, with a halo over his head. Some day I might have the courage to venture. Not yet. Some day. I'll paint the true Christ." It's a subtle summation of Franz's situation, of course, but so too of the film, which shows Franz's suffering as it was even as it celebrates the power of faith to transcend such suffering.

In this sense, much like Pvt. Witt (Jim Caviezel) in Thin Red Line, Franz is a Heideggerian sein-zum-tode ("being-towards-death"). This describes not the hastening towards the end of Dasein in a biological sense but is rather about the process of growing in the Lebenswelt to a point where one gains an authentic perspective, as one comes to completely accept the temporality of this existence, and hence no longer fear death. The application to both Witt and Franz is obvious - both men accept that this world is transitory and that life is simply part of the soul's eternal journey, so neither man fears death, and by not fearing it, they triumph over it.

Aesthetically, as one expects from Malick, A Hidden Life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful, particularly in its depiction of nature. Shooting digitally, Malick and his first-time cinematographer Jörg Widmer shot most of the exteriors (and some of the interiors) in a wide-lens anamorphic format that distorts everything outside the dead-centre of the frame. The effect is subtle (we're not talking fisheye lens distortion), but important - pushing the mountains further around the village, bringing the sky closer, elongating the already vast fields. This is a land beyond time, a modern Utopia that kisses the very sky.

The film opens with the sounds of birds chirping and a river flowing, followed by a voice-over in which Fani invokes the natural grandeur of Sankt Radegund ("I thought that we could build our nest high-up. In the trees. Fly away like birds to the mountains"). All of this before we see a single image. The film then begins (and closes) on breath-taking shots of the mountains around the village. However, a lot of the VO is epistolary, with large portions taken from the letters Franz and Fani write to one another when he was in prison. For Malick, this is a very conventional style to employ, especially insofar as his VOs have been getting more and more abstract as his films have gone on.

As for problems, as a Malick fanatic, I found very few. You know what you're getting with a Malick film, so complaining about the length (it's just shy of three hours) or the pace is kind of pointless. You know if you like how Malick paces his films, and if you found, for example, New World boring beyond belief, so too will you find Hidden Life. One thing I will say, though, there are a few scenes in the last act that are a little repetitive, giving us information we already have or hitting emotional beats we've already hit. It could also be argued that the film abstracts or flat-out ignores the real horrors of World War II, but that's by design. It isn't about those horrors, and Thin Red Line proves Malick has no problem showing man's inhumanity to man. The same is true for politics; much like 1917 (2019), Hidden Life is not about politics, so to accuse it of failing to address politics is to imply it's obliged to address politics. Which it most certainly is not.

In the end, A Hidden Life left me profoundly moved, on a level that very, very few films have (Thin Red Line and Tree of Life amongst them). Less a film than a spiritual odyssey, if you're a Malick fan, you should be enraptured. I don't know if I'd necessarily call it a masterpiece, but it's certainly close and is easily the best film of 2019 that I've seen thus far (the fact that it missed out on a single Academy Award nomination is a commentary unto itself).

A powerful story, and a well-acted film.

But at nearly three hours it's bloated and over-long. There's a very good and powerful film in here, but it's swamped.

There are some who will find Malick's most recent masterpiece, A Hidden Life, to be tedious -- and there is no fault in that. The film is long, and, as with Malick's many other beauties, the story comes second to the artistry through which the story is told. The medium is the message here. This fact may seem counter-intuitive when the story is of one of such cultural significance -- a peasant farmer, Franz, puts life and family on the line in favor of his personal faith and ethics, when he refuses to swear loyalty to Hitler. Through beautiful shots, that on their own could be masterful photographs, Malick tells the story of a faith so pure that there appears to alternative other than the choice Franz has made. And yet, this film is not pious. It is a simple story, about a simple man with simple faith, who makes a simple choice of profound significance. If you appreciate costuming, soundtracks, and cinematography, you will appreciate this film. If you care only about story, you will likely find this film to be beautiful but a drag.

I like slow, absorbing films as much as the next guy. But really, this should NOT be a three-hour film. You do feel something for the characters. But the film is not that well executed. There doesn't seem to be enough background to the story -- we don't see, as one might expect. a protagonist with historical ties to the land, with deep-seated friendships and relationships that are tested. And the wrestling of his soul is protracted yet also seems somehow light and not consequential. But the length is my biggest gripe. A two-hour movie would have been better.

The visually outstanding war drama "A Hidden Life" tells a true, hitherto hardly publicly perceived story of a resistance fighter who rebelled without any great gestures against Hitler and the Third Reich in a lyrical-meditative style as a Jesus allegory. This film works as a philosophical love story, which, precisely because it tells a different view of the Second World War, stands out particularly and is another well-made work by the long-established director Terrence Malick.

This touched me on so many levels. What does life mean? What does faith mean? What does a good life mean and how do you balance the needs of your family against your values. So much is explored at so many different levels. This film touched me so deeply. Why oh why does humanity continue with this terrible cycle? This film captures it all. From the simplicity and the importance of the grass and the sunshine to the other extreme of the worst of humanity. So brilliant and will make you question the key moments that have made your life worth living. Watch it and feel it - truly inspiring and life affirming.

You feel than it is a film by Terrence Malick. And, knowing before the first scenes the story of Franz Jagestatter you have the certitude than nobody except him can give, in fair manner, the story of the Austrian blessed. Sure, the image and the storytelling and the perfect cast. But more. A sort of thrill about a delicate theme not so easy to present in right way. And a great film about conscience against dictatorship. The source of force -,off course, is the image but, more important, the status of contemporary story. It represents a form of warning. Clear and high precise send to us.

The plot is well adapted, you empathize with characters for obvious reasons: family and respecting your own ideas. Have to say, I have so much trouble with the editing. Also, a very long movie, some scenes are useless, that makes this movie kind of slow. In the end great movie, good acting for no experienced actors (except for the principal), great screenplay, and the cinematography and score are just the best of the movie. Artsy movie, understandable if you get bored, but it's almost imposible to understand someone can hate it or give it a 1/10.

...I just...this movie broke me...I had no clue what I was getting myself into with this. It's a beautiful movie, it truly is. The acting is incredible and the story is suspenseful in the most absolutely worst quiet way possible. And I freakin love it...but I hate it. Why? I don't know how to think after this. I'm left questioning...everything. There's this feeling of dread through the whole movie but you almost trick yourself into thinking it will get better. "It can't possibly get worse. How could actual people have been so cruel and heartless?" But...I'm lost...this movie broke me...

During World War II a military aged German farmer, not necessarily opposed to serving in the German army but skeptical of Hitler, refuses to swear the compulsory loyalty oath upon his conscription. What ensues is entirely predictable.

The movie is nearly 3 hours long and the most interesting parts of the film are front-loaded in the first hour. The pacing of the film is already slow, then gets slower.

Although the film has some historical interest, it is simply not fun to watch because the story drags and the protagonist is entirely passive during the entirety of the film. The audience is left to guess his motivations because he hardly says anything. It is hinted that the protagonist might feel his passive resistance is part of a quasi-religious duty to fight evil.

Multiple groups left the theater during my screening. The same story could have been told in half the time.

If there is one key message I took away from the film, it is one man's passive resistance is another man's passive aggression. Profound? - not really.

The reaction of the moviegoer seated next to me sums up the general audience experience, "I am sure we watched it for some reason."

Educational value 7/10. Entertainment value 4/10.

This film has it all: epic cinematography style, thanks to Jörg Widmer, a story of love and sacrifice, social justice and injustice, and moral choices. This film brings challenges currently seen in todays Russian society where some people support and collaborate with evil, and some resist social pressure due to a personal sense of responsibility for their choice.

Don't expect entertainment, this film is about empathy, goodness of heart, and strength. This cinematic masterpiece will keep you engaged and on the edge of your seat through the runtime of the movie. And don't be surprised if it'll bring you to tears or even cause you discomfort, which heals, uplinks, and speaks to your heart.

Those who have been scared away in the past by some of Terence Malick's head scratchers rest assured: this movie is more "The Thin Red Line" than it is "The Tree of Life."

That's not to say, however, that it doesn't have Malick's fingerprints all over it. Continuous monotone voice over narration, long scenes of seemingly nothing happening, lots of shots of the natural world and the theme of man's relationship to it. It may sound like I'm rolling my eyes and being critical of Malick, but I'm not. I adored "The Tree of Life," in fact much more than this movie. But I do admit that three hours of Malick at his most abstract can be a little much. Even here, in a film that's much more traditionally narrative and accessible, I felt the length and don't think it needed to be as long as it is.

"A Hidden Life" is based on the true story of an Austrian farmer who was drafted to join the Nazi regime in WWII but who refused to swear an oath to Hitler. As a result, he spent his entire military service in prison. The film in equal parts also shows what life for his left-behind wife and children was like back in their small rural village, where they were ostracized by the townspeople for disloyalty. The film's title comes from the last passage of George Eliot's fabulous novel "Middlemarch," which is also shown on screen at the film's end. Do small individual acts of resistance even matter when one is up against the vast mechanism of governments and institutions? Are we better off just taking the path of least resistance and the one that will ensure the most comfortable lives for ourselves and our families when our ideals won't make any difference anyway? The fact that the movie is named after Eliot's novel is an indication where Malick himself lands on these questions, but the movie for the most part just asks them and doesn't try to answer them for its audience.

"A Hidden Life" is a solid film but not one that really stood out for me this year. It certainly didn't feel transporting like some of Malick's best movies have in the past.

Grade: A-

A cinematographic tour de force! This is an almost flawless movie and a true metaphysical drama. Probably the best movie of the Toronto international film festival. Base on a true story the photography is breath taking. You have to see it!

Yes, this film tells a good story, has good acting, and is beautifully filmed, but it is overlong and becomes tedious. The story of a conscientious objector and outsider in greater Germany during World War II is very similar to 2013's "13 Minutes", which is told in a much tighter, traditional pace. I usually don't even know the director's name when I watch a film, but while watching this one, I couldn't help but notice similarities to the near-great but disappointing "The New World" from 2005. Lo and behold, both were directed by Malick, and both suffer from way too many long pauses in the dialogue. To pan around the countryside to show how idyllic a farm community is might work three or four times, but it happens maybe 25 times. Malick should have cut an hour and added connecting dialogue throughout.

Terence Malick has made some unique and wonderful films. This time, I feel he's reached a 'style over substance' moment that can't be overlooked. The story of a conscientious objector during WWII is certainly a workable topic. But this movie seems determined to be another ethereal art piece that's sort of a movie. The narrative is kept simple, not reaching the soulful depths i was expecting. The cinematography is fine but it's not life-changing. I mean, the location is really the star, and the angles and shots are merely relaying a background of beauty; in other words, filming in the Bavarian Alps you tend to get a lot of breathtaking shots. So what you end up getting is three hours of overindulgence in movie-making, and not a satisfying experience. I think Malick's deepest fan base will like it, but objectively, I don't see the greatness in this film, but perhaps great material to debate in a college classroom.