At A Glance
- While it has no big names to draw crowds, "Bonhoeffer" is still engrossing enough to capture one's attention for its roughly two-hour runtime.
On the surface, "Bonhoeffer" is a war film full of intrigue and combat.
The trailer enforces the notion with shots of the war and the featured dialogue about a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. But while yes, the movie mostly takes place during World War II, it doesn’t precisely center around it. You quickly discover that it is much more than that.
Instead, it can be read in two distinct but related ways. One, it is a frightening depiction of how calculatingly systematic the Nazi rise to power was. From Hitler’s rise to Chancellor to the indoctrination of the youth to the dealing with the “Jewish Question,” it covers, almost step by step, how the Nazis slowly but surely capture Germany in its grasp.
Two, it is a heroic portrait of those who opposed it. Looking back through movies and history books, it is easy to see Germany as a unified force that spread evil worldwide. But the truth is that some stood up against the Reich at significant cost.
One such dissident was the titular Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Jonas Dassler), a noted theologian and pastor, who spoke up openly against the crimes and oppression perpetrated by the Nazis on everyone, Germans and non-Germans alike.
By jumping back and forth through different times, we see Deitrich grow from a naive young boy to a man who dared to speak truth to power. We see him as an idealistic young seminarian whose eyes are opened to the world’s injustices and inequalities while studying in America, then eventually, as a leader, a symbol of the resistance.
A large chunk of the movie concerns Bonhoeffer’s steadfastness in his faith. He opposes the Nazi’s oppression because it is the right thing to do. After all, his faith demands it. He cannot stomach the evils visited upon the Jews or the blatant corruption of the church. He calls on his faith in God for wisdom and strength for what he believes must be done. This highlights one's faith and trust in God, which can make this, strangely enough, something fit for Lenten's viewing.
While it has no big names to draw crowds, "Bonhoeffer" is still engrossing enough to capture one’s attention for its roughly two-hour runtime. It is probably the closest thing to a feel-good war movie you’ll find.