This film is based on the true story of an Austrian farmer who refused to take the oath of loyalty to Hitler and the effect it has on him and his family in their small mountain village. It could have been a powerful drama, but in the hands of auteur Terrence Malick it becomes an artist musing about personal ethics and the human spirit. Because it’s Malick, you get lovely visuals (and a spectacular mountain locale), dialogue that’s more recited than spoken and a languid pace (3 hours). It’s also a bit confusing because most of the characters speak English (with an accent), but others speak in German (with no translation). There’s a moving story beneath the beauty and it has a more cohesive narrative than some of his recent work, but it’s still more art than drama. (Criterion Cinemas only)
(3.5 / 5)