A hidden life9/21/2023 You can easily guess what happens to him as the film doesn't really make it past 1943, so the tragedy and travesty of his situation should come as no surprise to any casual purveyors of history. Set in the first half of WWII, the film is based on the life of Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer who defied his conscription to the Third Reich and was imprisoned as a conscientious objector and traitor. I think it's still safe to say that if you couldn't stand THE TREE OF LIFE, you'll be having difficulties accessing A HIDDEN LIFE as well, but if you're like me and like to immerse yourself in three hours of majestic emotional grandeur this might just be your long, slow cup of joe. TO THE WONDER, KNIGHT OF CUPS, and SONG TO SONG sure did look good, but they didn't add up to what most folks would consider a satisfying cinematic experience - more like a triathlon in tedium without much of a discernible plot and a lot, I mean a metric crap-ton of people mumbling and/or spinning around. Despite many opportunities to sign the oath of allegiance, Jägerstätter continues to stand up for his beliefs and is executed by the Third Reich in August 1943, while his wife and three daughters survive.Devotees of famed art house director Terrence Malick will find a renewed faith in the filmmaker's often touted genius after three feature-length meditative marathons on the beauty and ennui of rich, white people amidst decadent problems. He is found guilty and sentenced to death. After months of brutal incarceration, his case goes to trial. Fani and their daughters are victims of growing hostility in the village over her husband's decision not to fight. During his time in prison, he and Fani write letters to one another and give each other strength. Jägerstätter is taken to prison, first in Enns, then in Berlin and waits months for his trial. Wrestling with the knowledge that his decision will mean arrest and even death, Jägerstätter finds strength in Fani's love and support. Despite the pleas of his neighbors, Jägerstätter refuses. Their first requirement is to swear an oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler and the 3rd Reich. As the war goes on, Jägerstätter and the other able-bodied men in the village are called up to fight. With his mother and sister-in-law Resi, he and his wife farm the land and raise their children amid the mountains and valleys of upper Austria. Eventually, when France surrenders and it seems the war might end soon, he is sent back from training. Franz is called up to basic training and is away from his beloved wife and children for months. They live a simple life with the passing years marked by the arrival of the couple's three girls. Married to Franziska (Fani) (Valerie Pachner), the couple are important members of the tight-knit rural community. Radegund, Jägerstätter is working his land when war breaks out. Born and bred in the small village of St. HuggoĪ Hidden Life follows the real-life story of Austrian peasant farmer Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl) who refuses to fight for the Nazis in World War II. Beyond what he is to do, the further associated question becomes if there is a breaking point for him in the pressure placed by those around him and by the Nazis. With Fani by his side, Franz has to decide what to do, his continuing objections which they know could lead to him being imprisoned or possibly executed for treason. This stance places not only him but his family at greater odds with those in the community, each person objecting not always for the same reason, and thus leads to them being increasingly ostracized and isolated. The problem now is that the Austrian military members must swear loyalty to Adolf Hitler, something that he in good conscience cannot or is unwilling to do. But in 1941 as the war continues, Franz is called back into military service. Along with his colleagues, Franz was sent home from basic training early in the conflict when it looked the war might be over with France's surrender to Germany. Hard-working husband and wife farmers Franz and Fani Jägerstätter, parents to three infant daughters, are part of the tight-knit rural community, which includes extended family members, of St.
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