A Review of ‘Bonhoeffer’: A mostly stirring account of a pastor who took on Nazi Germany
A bio-pic of a German clergyman who tried to drum up support against the Nazi regime.
'Bonhoeffer’: A mostly stirring account of a pastor who took on Nazi Germany
Cast: Jonas Dassler, Phileas Heyblom, August Diehl, Moritz Bleibtreu, Nadine Heidenreich, David Jonsson, Flula Borg, Lisa Hofer, Luise Landau, William Robinson, James Flynn, Greg Kolpakchi, Simon Licht, Mark Wingett, Evan Hart, Vincent Franklin, Patrick Moelleken, Felix Von Bredau
Critic’s Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Director: Todd Komarnicki
Duration: 2 hours, 12 minutes
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Biopic, History
Language: English
Release: 2024
What’s it about?
A bio-pic of a German clergyman who tried to drum up support against the Nazi regime.
Review:
So many movies have been made about Nazi Germany, but here is one of the few which recounts the resistance of Germans within the constrictive Third Reich. However, this ambitious biopic of the valiant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who takes up the cause of persecuted European Jews and their sympathisers, doesn’t entirely triumph as an epic. Yes, the eventful journey of the protagonist as a pastor-turned-conspirator unfolds in an intermittently powerful manner with fair performances and adequate period detail. But there is a sense of disorientation to the narrative which mirrors its hero’s haphazard life and the ultimate futility of its purpose. Still, it elucidates an unorthodox clergyman’s dogged resolve in the face of severe adversity.
After a quick insight into his early privileged life and the loss of his older brother in World War I, Dietrich’s (Jonas Dassler) story unfolds mainly through two alternating time-lines. One, the turbulent 1930s when Bonhoeffer studies at a seminary in New York City only to return to the rise of Hitler’s Germany; and two, the final days of World War II wherein he serves jail time as a political prisoner. In the former scenario, the young man tires of the Union Church’s didactic approach to religion and finds true faith in an African-American church. Bonhoeffer discovers the passion behind piety in Gospel and Jazz music. After his attempt to stick up for his Black friend Frank Fisher (David Jonsson) ends in violent altercation, Bonhoeffer returns to Germany to encounter a worse form of racism.
Bonhoeffer is further disturbed when he learns that the German Church is throwing its weight behind the Nazis. After senior clergyman Bishop Mueller sings the praises of Hitler at a church sermon in Berlin, the recently-ordained Bonhoeffer decides to counter-attack with a homily of his own. This, to the displeasure of his friend Martin Niemoeller (August Diehl). Will their opposing views destroy their amity or will Niemoeller acquiesce and change his tune? While Bonhoeffer’s impassioned words find resonance with local seminarians, he visits England to whip up more support from a Bishop Bell (Vincent Franklin). Sensing the noose tightening around Bonhoeffer’s neck, his religious supporters whisk him away to a secret seminary. Meanwhile, on the advice of his brother-in-law Hans, the pastor realises that he can achieve more by ostensibly joining forces with a Nazi agency.
Will Bonhoeffer compromise his pacifist mentality for the greater good? The pastor is up against a stacked deck, but does he still have a promising hand to play? And does he possess the cunning to save the lives of a few Jews along the way? What starts out as a religious and political drama soon turns into a thriller of sorts. But here, the film offers only mild suspense. Also, Bonhoeffer’s various interactions with family, his allies and foes could have been more compelling and impactful. Meanwhile, the film's production design, while occasionally impressive, lacks the scale and scope required for a movie of this nature. However, the dialogue often boasts of an articulate and prosaic quality and there are some quotable quotes thrown in for good measure.
Screenwriter Todd Komarnicki, whose previous credits include the disaster movie Sully (2016) and the psychological drama The Professor and Madmen (2019), does a satisfactory job in his first outing as director. Komarnicky reveals his protagonist’s character and motivations by the latter’s communication and introspection. But more credit should go to Dassler for bringing his role to life by displaying a pretty wide range of emotion. The irreligious may be disenchanted by the many instances of prayer and song, but that has to be expected from a principled man of faith. While Hitler may have been seen as God by his subjects, it looks like Bonhoeffer’s own Almighty has had the power to trump Der Fuehrer. And this film, for the most part, is proof of that.
