Page - 210 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 05/02

tholicism’s influence in their respective nations. Yet two films were quite ex- plicit in their biographical depiction of Christian faith. Debuting in competition at Cannes, visionary filmmaker Terrence Malick has crafted his most explicitly Christian film with A Hidden Life (Terrence Malick, US 2019), a long-awaited pro- ject focusing on the life of Second World War Austrian conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl). The film was originally titled “Radegund”, the name of the idyllic mountain hamlet where Franz and his beloved wife, Fani (Valerie Pachner), reside with their three young daughters. When the Nazis de- mand allegiance to Hitler, Franz quietly refuses, an act of defiance motivated by his deep Catholic convictions and his troubled conscience. A Hidden Life presents its Christian heritage unashamedly even as it exhorts and critiques both the Second World War era and contemporary institutional church. The film is infused with biblical references through Franz’s and Fani’s prayers, as well as visual symbols and narrative themes. Churches and priests play active roles in the narrative as mentors and guides, and God is often direct- ly addressed in the Malickian voice-over narrations. For instance, Franz prays a version of Psalm 23 aloud while waiting for his trial in a German prison; as the camera hovers through the hallways like a wandering spirit, the biblical words offer hope in the midst of apparent despair, the Good Shepherd restoring the prisoner’s soul. Yet critical questions remain. Will the spirit of Antichrist (the term is mentioned multiple times) reign in Europe? Is God the author of such suffering? Can faithfulness to God make a genuine difference in this world? These questions of theodicy in the context of a historical narrative are striking in their contemporary relevance, particularly regarding the political allegiances of Christian churches in present-day America. Even as he is memorializing the tragic experiences of World War II, Malick is also raising crucial prophetic ques- tions as to whether the church will wed itself to bigoted political powers who commit injustices and perpetuate lies, or rather, act in resistance and solidarity with the oppressed. In this, A Hidden Life won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, awarded by a jury of Christian filmmakers and critics. Fig. 7: A Hidden Life (Terrence Malick, US 2019). Press Still: Cannes Film Festival. 210 | Joel Mayward www.jrfm.eu 2019, 5/2, 204–213