It's really sad to think how much people dismissed A Hidden Life

The world payed attention to the wrong film about Nazism (yes I'm talking about JoJo Rabbit)

One of Malick's most interesting films in a while, a return to form one might say, stunning cinematography, great performances and a chilling (and true) tale about morality, and what it takes to have it in such a cold and frightening world

Certainly I think a lot of people were driven away from it because Malick's more modern work (Knight Of Cups for example) but it's such a shame because I feel it is a very important film for the world right now

"Do you imagine that anything you do will change the course of this war? That anyone outside this court will ever hear of you? No one will be changed. The world will go on as before. You'll vanish"

A Hidden Life shows us the agony of the unseen, of acts of resistance that go unnoticed, it also presents us the heavy costs these acts have

The film also shines a light on the institutions that allow evil to saw it's seed, the church, for example, turns a blind eye to the acts of atrocity of the Nazis

"I don't see things as you do, Father. We can't remain silent in the face of evil we have to confront it" Franz is certain that his acts will be seen in some form of the other, and if they won't be seen, at least he will be sure he made the right thing.

But is this choice selfish? After all this desicion is mainly about himself in some way or the other, he can't live with doing the wrong thing. He is leaving his children and wife because he has a moral compass from which he cannot stray.

The film makes Franz's choice all the harder and heartbreaking by punctuating the movie with moments of absolute beauty and love, these are the most powerful moments of A Hidden Life, Franz playing with his children, a kiss with his wife, exchanged glances between them.

It is a truly haunting piece of media, Franz is a martyr and he knows he may not be seen in eternity, he fights and he is invisible, he screams and cannot be heard

“Does a man have the right to let himself be put to death for the truth? Could it possibly please God? He wants us to have peace, happiness. Not to bring suffering on ourselves.” Franz is not even sure god will se him and his acts, he is completely alone in his battle

"I don't know everything. A man may do wrong, and he can't get out of it to make his life clear. Maybe he'd like to go back, but he can't. But I have this feeling inside me, that I can't do what I believe is wrong"

"God doesn't care what you say, only what's in your heart" Franz doesen't do this for god of for any higher being, even the church, an institution in which he believed, tells him it doesen't matter, that god doesen't care what he says.

Malick seems to believe fundamentally in doing the right thing, even when no one sees you, even when no one acknowledges you, but in the end, in the end someone does see you, now we see Franz, we see his acts, we see his bravery

Well, that's the end of this thread, I'm sure very little people (maybe no one) got to the end, but if you did, I appreciate it, I've been wanting to talk about this film for a while