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Document Details : Title: Painting the True Christian Subtitle: The Martyrdom of Franz Jägerstätter in Terrence Malick's Film A Hidden Life Author(s): SCHMOLLER, Andreas Journal: Studies in Spirituality Volume: 34 Date: 2025 Pages: 95-113 DOI: 10.2143/SIS.34.0.3294890 Abstract : This article explores how the protagonist of Terrence Malick’s film A Hidden Life relates to the historical person Franz Jägerstätter. For that purpose we analyze the film in two directions. First we clarify some misunderstandings about the historical persons that might occur if viewers only know the film. Second, we compare the interpretative narrative of A Hidden Life with the subjective religious meaningmaking of the historical persons. Malick is widely acknowledged as philosophical and spiritual film maker. How does Malick relate to Jägerstätter’s spirituality as we know it from the historical sources? I argue that Terrence Malick does so (and can thus claim a consistency for it) particularly on one essential point. He shows how the struggle to follow Christ can be understood as the core of Christian existence. Beyond that he ignores most of Jägerstätter’s historically formed world of faith and piety, which ultimately cannot be grasped in the film. |
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