During World War II a military aged German farmer, not necessarily opposed to serving in the German army but skeptical of Hitler, refuses to swear the compulsory loyalty oath upon his conscription.
What ensues is entirely predictable.
The movie is nearly 3 hours long and the most interesting parts of the film are front-loaded in the first hour. The pacing of the film is already slow, then gets slower.
Although the film has some historical interest, it is simply not fun to watch because the story drags and the protagonist is entirely passive during the entirety of the film. The audience is left to guess his motivations because he hardly says anything. It is hinted that the protagonist might feel his passive resistance is part of a quasi-religious duty to fight evil.
Multiple groups left the theater during my screening. The same story could have been told in half the time.
If there is one key message I took away from the film, it is one man's passive resistance is another man's passive aggression. Profound? - not really.
The reaction of the moviegoer seated next to me sums up the general audience experience, "I am sure we watched it for some reason."
Educational value 7/10. Entertainment value 4/10.
The movie is nearly 3 hours long and the most interesting parts of the film are front-loaded in the first hour. The pacing of the film is already slow, then gets slower.
Although the film has some historical interest, it is simply not fun to watch because the story drags and the protagonist is entirely passive during the entirety of the film. The audience is left to guess his motivations because he hardly says anything. It is hinted that the protagonist might feel his passive resistance is part of a quasi-religious duty to fight evil.
Multiple groups left the theater during my screening. The same story could have been told in half the time.
If there is one key message I took away from the film, it is one man's passive resistance is another man's passive aggression. Profound? - not really.
The reaction of the moviegoer seated next to me sums up the general audience experience, "I am sure we watched it for some reason."
Educational value 7/10. Entertainment value 4/10.