The Friday Review: Bonhoeffer

Starring Jonas Dassler

Tragedy struck again and again throughout Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life. Good and evil clashed, battering him and his perception of humanity. But each tragedy served a hidden purpose. The evil of The Great War, the ugliness of racism, and the suffocating oppression of the German “church”, equipped him to take on the horrors of the Nazi Regime. But having the courage to fight doesn’t immediately vanquish the enemy. And though good will ultimately win in the end, there is a steep cost to be paid: safety, family and friends, freedom, and sometimes life itself.

Pros: I have been thrilled to see more quality Christian films being made. When Angel Studios is involved, you know you won’t be dealing with a B-rated Hallmark film. 

Having studied a lot of WW2 history and seen countless movies on the subject, I really appreciated the focus on the German church – something most filmmakers don’t try to tackle. The world today struggles with cultural Christianity. Germany in the 1930s wasn’t much different. Their cheap, shallow, ritualistic religion was easily infiltrated by Nazism. Hitler was preached from the pulpit by pastors who cared more about politics than the gospel. But, I digress. This is a movie review, not a treatise on religion. 

There were some nail-biter moments in the film as it wound towards the inevitable conclusion. The Last Supper at the end had me in tears. Overall, I was very pleased with the message of loving God and loving your neighbor. It is, after all, the greatest commandment.

Cons: I picked up a book from the library on Bonhoeffer because I have a feeling a lot of his life’s story was cherry-picked for this movie. The story was told through flashbacks, with the bulk of the screen time devoted to Bonhoeffer’s pre-WW2 life. While it provided context and motive for his actions, it bogged down the action and made for a very choppy narrative. Whoever did the editing is not walking away with an Oscar. 

I’m also curious about his theology. I have a feeling the “follow your heart” type speeches were not consistent with his beliefs.

Bottom Line: Not Angel Studios’ best work, but a necessary and timely story that needs to be told. 3.5 Stars