A Hidden Life (2019)

Really glad to hear positive word on Diehl and the film itself.

i've heard really shitty things about this one so far from people that i give a shit about when it comes to their malick thoughts. kinda sad he's ditching his traditional 10s approach so early as that made him one of the most exciting directors for me.

however i'll still see this one as soon as i can, a new malick is always an event

Oh man, she was so incredible! Her performance moved me to tears. She has such an expressive face and could have been a marvelous silent movie star. You could definitely feel the deep love she had for her husband. It was so overwhelming and powerful

So glad you loved it. Nods & wins?

Terrence Malick's latest film has been touted as a return to form, narratively speaking . . . and indeed, his saga of noted Austrian pacifist Franz Jägerstätter is indeed more substantial and linear than the films he's made of late. But Malick's latest also happens to be his longest film, and it really does feel it. A Hidden Life is resplendently shot, as per usual, and his depiction of Jägerstätter's bucolic lifestyle in the hinterlands of St. Radegund before he is summoned to answer Hitler's call to arms is indeed one of the most gorgeous portrayals of a peaceful life. But Malick has not yet entirely shed the tonal abstraction that has been a staple of his post-Tree of Life career; he has a tendency towards repetition here, showing multiple versions of the same scene and shot, and while certain aspects of it lend itself to thematic resonance (i.e. the bicyclist who consistently passes Franz and his wife on the street, bringing news of outside events), there are times where I feel Malick's indulgence could've been curbed a bit.

Indeed, the film's runtime is really its biggest black mark, because overall, it's a majestically staged experience. August Diehl and Valerie Pachner (don't forget either one come AMARA time, gang!) are wonderful and achingly believable in their characters and dynamic, and Pachner in particular hearkens back to Malick's skill at coaxing breakthrough performances from his actresses (Sissy Spacek, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Jessica Chastain) and shows that he's never lost that particular tool in his arsenal. Jorg Widmer's sweeping cinematography captures the pastoral landscapes of Austria so wonderfully, it made me yearn to return to it (I was in Austria earlier this year as part of a European tour and it was my favorite country to explore and experience). And then there's the music, which is simply sumptuous. It's a shame it's been disqualified for Oscar consideration; the pieces that are original are divinely hewn and combined is some of the most evocative soundtrack I've heard in ages.

A Hidden Life can be trying to the Malickian neophyte; indeed, I'd say it's probably his most inscrutable film overall. Even his three autobiographical tone poems (To the Wonder / Knight of Cups / Song to Song) are relatively straightforward if you apply what one knows of Malick's personal life (little as it may be) to them. But A Hidden Life, I feel, asks more of its viewer, to explore not just what would make one risk death and martyrdom for a cause that many might say could've been easily avoided, but also what would make one accept that decision from another and live with it.

There’s a lot to like about this one visually, but I honestly was just bored as hell. And I like Malick. Thin Red Line is one of the best war movies ever and The Tree of Life is one of our great experimental art pieces this decade, but man, for a film with a two-paragraph Wikipedia plot summary to be stretched to three full hours was an absolute chore. It was like Silence, but without all of the great contemplative and challenging conversations and debates that kept that film startlingly alive. It was emotional toward the end for sure, but I feel that is based more on the subject matter than what was earned with the two and a half hours that came before it. I will say though that Valerie Pachner really grabbed my attention and I expect to see a lot more of her in the next five years.

Damn, it feels good to actually enjoy a Malick film again. I agree with what was said above about this being not only his best work since The Tree of Life, but among his best films period. I can't imagine a better told version of this story, which is a great fit for Malick's sensibility. While his last couple films to me were tediously repetitive and shapeless, this was more focused, felt like it was actually building towards something, and the higher stakes gave the spiritual and moral themes more weight. I was concerned about the length going in, but I was pleasantly surprised in that nothing seemed extraneous to me and the runtime felt justified.

This is the first of Malick's films that actually feels like it's about right now, despite its period setting ("they won't fight truth, they'll just ignore it"). Lots of small poetic moments including one involving a conversation with an artist that's reminiscent of a scene in The Seventh Seal, and another with Bruno Ganz's character contemplatively sitting in a chair once occupied by Franz and revealing a flicker of doubt. Many memorable images, including poetic contrast of Franz and his wife lovingly and playfully planting potatoes in the earth, and Franz's wife later clawing at the earth in despair, her sister consoling her and caressing her head with mud-caked hands. As a portrait of spiritual abnegation, this is one of Malick's most moving films.

My current #2 of 2019 (behind The Irishman).     

Finally Terrence Malick is back with a real masterpiece and his best film since "The Tree of Life". Its a film that really gets under your skin if you embrace to it. Malick's longest film is also one of his most emotional and thought provoking ones in a way. We show two different worlds colliding with each other. Malick takes a lot of time to really show the idyllic and peaceful life of Austrian villagers, far away from the cruelty of the world, but collides with it when one of the villagers is called in for war but declines. August Diehl wonderfully plays this real life figure and gives a truly tour de force performance. A performance that is only challenged by Valerie Pachner who is just outstanding, especially in the second half of the film. We got the last roles of Bruno Ganz and Michael Nyqvist, although rather cameos than real supporting roles but thats most of the cast expect for Diehl and Pachner as those two actors play characters that embodie the whole emotions of people that are forced into a war they dont want.
Typically for Terrence Malick you are treated with a fantastic cinematography. Unforgettable images of pure and innocent nature. It is fantastic how he links that to the true hell...and combines it (take notice of the constant bird singing in the film) He uses it as its second protagonists and symbol the same time. Also the score by James Newton Howard is fantastic and emotional. It is long yes but except for a section after 2 hours it doesn't feel like it because Malick needs that time to bring the people, their believes and culture close to his audience.

Current nominations for:

Best Director: Terrence Malick
Best Cinematography
Best Score

Rating: 9/10

Finally saw this and was very impressed. Even here in Austria Franz Jägerstätter and his brave and tragic story are not as well-known as he deserves, so it is sastisfying that Terrence Malick raises a monument to his name.
It's a story that plays well to Malick's strengths. I think Jägerstätter's inner conflict and later on his inner conviction are ideal for Malick's approach to cinema and therefore he really creates a very contemplative and spiritual film about a man, who stands up for what his believes and remains his composure and a kind of calmness even when the world breaks down over him. Of course there are again the well working voice-overs, but mostly August Diehl and the camera do already enough that the viewer understands Jägerstätter's feelings and feels his firm belief.
There reocurrs a similiar pattern to the story as in "The Thin Red Line" and "The New World". It's about some people, who live more or less in peace and in accordance with nature, but war destroys their idyll. Malick again uses this to integrate some breathtaking pictures of our planet and pits them against the brutality mankind has created. And honestly, despite there being some great contenders this year, it is a little surprising that Jörg Widmer's breathtaking cinematography didn't get nominated for an oscar. Together with the important message of the film, that is as relevant today, when I sadly notice the anger and xenophobia that raises again in Austria and Germany and other countries, this creates a poetic film again in the vein of Malick's forementioned films.
One element that didn't really work that well for me were the many cuts, especially within dialogues, which were rather disrupting than supporting to the essence of the iamges and words and maybe you could have shortened the film for 10-15 minutes, cause some scenes are pretty redundant and offer nothing we didn't already see or feel. But those are just minor complaints for a beautiful movie.
This is one of the best films of the year and my second favourite Malick behind "The Thin Red Line".

It is well made, although the aesthetic is derivative from his previous work, still I was engaged throughout, but I think Malick takes a limited approach because is just about celebrating this man, the moment some ideas/principled are questioned he turns to the other side, and for three hours, is a movie that can be simplified in three sentences: nazis are bad, life’s a bitch and Diehl’s character is GOOD.

So glad to see people mentioning the score. I feel like James Newton Howard hasn't sounded this good since The Village... where were the accolades for this beautiful music?

Death depicted in this film, decapitated my soul.