This movie has been on my mind a lot since I watched it a while back. The movie is about Franz Jagerstatter's journey as a conscientious objector during World War I. He refused to swear an oath to Hitler. This seems like an obvious thing to do in hind sight, but it wasn't the case during that time in Austria, in his tiny village.
His fellow neighbors and at times even his own family wasn't very kind, to say the least, regarding his choice. His choice landed him in prison, subjected him to torture, and ultimately beheading. If you think Christian persecutions, particularly Catholics, only happened during the early church days, you are sorely mistaken, open your eyes and pay attention to what is going on around you and around the world. Christian persecutions are still happening in this age and have increased.
As he was transported from the jail in Austria and finally the prison in Germany, people along the way attempted to coerce him to change his mind. They tried using his family, physical and psychological torture, and minimizing the faith to convince him to relent. He stood his ground throughout this time. It was anguishing to watch and definitely a million times worse to bear, but he got through it each time. These accounts were preserved through the letters between him and his wife, Franny.
The movie was beautifully shot. The beauty and the grandeur of the mountains were captured. There was minimal dialogue, but the gravity of the situation was conveyed through the scenes. While he was in prison, their fellow villagers were mean and uncharitable toward his family at home. The farm life was not easy, and it became more difficult without him. On top of that, their neighbors kicked them while they were down. The scene where their neighbor came into their garden and stole their vegetables in broad daylight while Franny was nearby, says it all. The villagers weren't all bad. There were a handful who were kind to his family during his absence but not many.
Franz attempted to seek some guidance on this matter by first talking to their local priest and then the bishop but to no avail. The part that stood out was when the bishop mentioned that the church bells were confiscated and melted down to make bullets. They were all gripped by fear; it wasn't just the villagers. Priests who took a stand against the Nazis during this time were sent to camps. Even though I knew Franz's story before I watched the movie; I still cried at the end of this movie. A lesser man would have given up a long time ago, signed the papers, and went back home to his family. His commitment to the faith is the stuff of saints. Blessed be God that he is on the way to sainthood. He's been beatified. I am looking forward to his canonization.
If you've not seen this movie before, I highly recommend it. The subject matter is mature, so it is not for children.
Let us pray for one another and for those who are going through religious persecutions. May the Lord continue to guide and protect them. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.