A Hidden Life

Watching A Hidden Life feels like both going to church and performing penance, like Terrence Malick wants us to submit to the same ideological journey as his protagonist.

A Hidden Life is definitely on the long side, and there will be people whose patience may be exhausted, but if you give yourself over to it, it's a moving, emotional film with truly breathtaking visuals and wonderful performances.

There is no doubt that A Hidden Life is a labour of love for Malick, but it will prove a challenge for audiences willing to experience the latest work of this most interesting and wayward director.

How does someone retain their innocence in an inescapably dark time? It's a painful question, but [Terrence] Malick's film is brave enough to ask it.

The drama lacks inner tension. Rather than wrestling with himself, as other Malick heroes do, Franz remains a noble waxwork helplessly true to his own convictions.

Malick links the lonely labour of working the land with the thanklessness of sainthood, asking questions about devotion, tradition and individual acts of resistance.

There's a lot to say yet so very little... [Full review in Spanish]

Malick gives us a three-dimensional portrait of a rare type of hero, told through a true story of faith, family, and the unquenchable human spirit in the face of tremendous persecution.

Ultimately, Malick asks the viewer to commit to the process of searching oneself and to have faith in our innermost beliefs, accepting that the unknowable quality of faith strengthens, not weakens.

Not quite a perfect film, but an emotionally transcendent one that will linger for years to come.