Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace

This is one of those true stories that make your stomach churn.

A Pastor gets hung by Nazis. Bad things happen to good people; even one's with the best of intentions.

If you expect a Hollywood blockbuster, you will be disappointed. If you expect a movie done on a low budget, but still looks OK, then you will enjoy this one.

This is a good movie. Sure, they could have done more. But they have done enough to get the point across.

People die for the right causes. They choose to die with a good conscience than live with a "yellow" one. This man deserves our attention and admiration.

See the film with this attitude, and you will be rewarded; if not, you'll be disappointed.

Imagine you were someone who knew nothing of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and you thought that this movie might shed a little light on the life of a man who is renowned in Christian intellectual circles. You would be sorely disappointed by this offering. The movie gives no account of Boenhoeffer's early life, he springs fully adult like Adam in the Garden. The movie also gives no real account of later life. It portrays a series of vignettes in which he is peripherally involved in events in Germany, a passive observer of tumultuous occurrences that might seem to be of importance if only we had some explanation of what they were, who was involved, and how they came to be. None of that. Bonhoeffer drifts along in the stream of occurrences until he is swept away to a Gestapo prison where he makes a poor attempt at fooling the bad guys and is eventually killed. Apparently, Bonhoeffer was an admirer of Gandhi. Well, there you go.

I gave it three stars because Robert Joy does a good job of portraying the Gestapo menace. His is the only character that has an obvious motive which is carried out as one would expect. Everyone else is a two-dimensional NPC, reacting as programmed for reasons that are not given and not apparent.

Bonhoeffer was a very well done movie about the legendary Christian leader and minister Deitrich Bonhoeffer. It told his story, warts and all. It showed the philosophical dilemna that a Man of God struggled through and eventually is sacrificed for. It is a insight into a man who wanted to serve God and mankind, the conflicts, the way he touched others lives, then and now through is great writings. I recommend it.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of my favorite "faith heroes". A friend introduced me to his "Cost of discipleship" when I was at college and I was delighted to read, some years later, his "Letters from prison". Dietrich Bonhoeffer was, indeed, a true Christian and a man to admire. So when I learned that "Agent of Grace" was being released, I was immediately caught up. I saw the film some days ago but, sadly, it did not meet my expectations. I found the film rather boring and confusing: from start to end the emotional level is a flat line, no important ups and downs, no emotions spoken out (the scriptwriters apparently forgot the richness and profoundness of "Letters from prison"). The historical backdrop (WW2, Nazi's rule and conspiracy against Hitler, etc.) is not clear enough for the average spectator to understand what and why things in the film are going on they way they are. But most of all, the movie fails to show the inner struggle of a young man that has everything to loose but chooses to be faithful to his Lord.

In an age where genuine concern for others seems to be conspicuous by its absence this spare yet profoundly moving film gives us a glimpse of a great spirit. Christian or not, it's essential viewing. Theologian Bonhoeffer was a man for all seasons, following the voice of his conscience to the end. The recent release of this film makes one wonder why it took so long to have Bonhoeffers story retold on the screen. He could have escaped from the Nazis but chose to stay with his people, helping wherever he could. Right through the film we find ourselves asking what we would do in the same situation? This story is rich food for thought and discussion.