Bonhoeffer
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Movie Reviews of Bonhoeffer
Movie Review: Beyond 5 Stars--Gripping Good Stuff
Summary: 5 Stars
Edit of 20 Dec 07 to add links.
My short notes on this incredible film:
* Possible for 1 man to detect evil early on, and to resist evil
* Bonhoeffer excelled at pointing out that for any man or nation to presume that God takes sides or endorses any particular position is very pretentious
* God is *community* -- God is present to the extent that community of man thrives
* If the working poor turn away from the church, it is failing; if the petty bourgeoisie flock to the church it is failing and pretentious
* In times of economic crisis, fascism can be attractive to BOTH the industrial leaders AND the forlorn working poor
* New York fellowship focused him on social ethics, energized him with exposure to writing by black authors, pious singing within black churches
* Purpose of ethics and theology is to change the world for the better
* Adam Clayton Powell Senior made the black church in New York into a political and social force
* Black Christ has rapturous passion, contrasts sharply with white didactic Christ
* Friendships with pacifists taught him that "nothing in scripture permits man to destroy the body of Christ" (the community)
* For every person that is unemployed, 2-5 go hungry
* Hitler called on God, claimed God, Quoted God. For Hitler, God was a "completely ideological God" according to Bishop Wolfgang Huber, one of those interviewed
* Church in Germany was guilty of preparing the way for Hitler, setting the stage for an authoritarian or "acceptance" state
* At 27, Bonhoeffer addressed nation via radio, suggested that the leader as "idol" was sacrilegious. His broadcast was cut off.
* Bonhoeffer brought the Bible alive--taught his student to read the Bible as if God were *here and now* speaking to *you* personally.
* Hitler called on God, but he was actually in competition with God for the role of SAVIOR of the German people.
* Hitler legalized church prejudices against Jews going back to Martin Luther
* Must distinguish between anti-Judaism (conflict of faiths) and anti-Semitism (racism)
* According to Bonhoeffer, Church has three options in times of crisis and state abuse:
1) Ask the State if its actions are legitimate
2) Support the victims (Bonhoeffer is specific in saying Church must support all victims, even if not part of the Church)
3) Oppose the State
His work focused on the ease with which false loyalty (e.g. to a President rather than a Constitution), false Church is a easy path for most.
Catholic Church signed a Concordat with Hitler, agreeing not to resist.
Others did resist--Pastors Emergency League, claimed 7,000 members out of a possible 27,000
Bonhoeffer was so exceptional that he was invited by Gandhi to visit him
"Peace is the opposite of security" (one is actual, the other is enforced)
* Study, service, prayer.
* Oppressed people of color have piety and also have something to teach to all Christians.
* What cost oppression? The cost is the loss of God.
* War, and the persecution of Jews, are injustice incarnate. "One is not true to God when one has a lax conception of war or of justice," This according to Bishop Albrecht Schonherr
* Bonhoeffer was a double agent, engaged in plot to kill Hitler
* Ethics is situational--will of God has infinite variations. Ethics is less about principles and more about flexibility. Ethics is an act of faith--every minute, every day.
* Hitler dominated Germany for over a decade.
* Bonhoeffer was marched naked to the gallows and hung. His last words, "For me this is the beginning of life."
* His message: live completely in this world--thus do we throw ourselves into the hands of God--take ALL suffering seriously.
This was a moving DVD. It offers superb organization, superb visuals, and superb choral music in the background. This DVD was so thoughtful I found myself replaying sections 3X to 5X.
This was so good it has focused me on my next book--instead of national security (forced peace)--I am going for INFORMATION PEACEKEEPING: Ethics, Theology, and Collective Intelligence (inherent peace).
If you've gotten this far, you need to see this DVD. Available at Blockbuster and also well worth buying as a recurring reflection piece .
See also, with reviews:
Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Snow Walker
The Last Samurai (Two-Disc Special Edition)
March Or Die
Movie Review: "This is the end. For me, ... the beginning of life!"
Summary: 5 Stars
These were Dietrich Bonhoeffer's last words before he was hanged, naked, on a gallows of the evil Nazi regime (sadly, only weeks before his concentration camp was liberated by the Allies in WWII).
This 90 min. 12 chapters DVD is a documentary-styled film about the life and writings of a person called Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (The other reviewers did a good job at presenting his background).
This DVD can be enjoyed by Christians and non-Christians alike.
A legacy of God's grace, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a pastor, theologian, university professor, anti-Nazi conspirator, and martyr who detected early on the evils of a new monster rising amidst his Germanic countrymen (Adolf Hitler as Fuehrer, racism as means of national liberation, the deification of state authority, the corruption of the state churches) and amidst Christendom before the break of WWII in September 1939. His theology and actions also saved the lives of some Jews he personally helped escape to Switzerland.
What sets this DVD apart from the other documentary films made on the legacy of this martyr ("Hanged on a Twisted Cross" by T.D.Mohan, and "Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace" by Eric Till) and a German-made movie (which I do not think has yet been subtitled or dubbed in English) are the fresh new historical footages, live interviews with Dietrich's entourage, friends, and surviving family member. One will also be privileged to see snippet interviews with historians, theologians, ministers, authors, and scholars who have studied Bonhoeffer's life and writings, and also the times (WWI, rise of Social Nationalism in Germany) that influenced Bonhoeffer's writings. The interviews are with people from 3 continents, some who only speak German (subtitles provided), and from various traditions.
After watching this film, one will have a very intimate understandings of Bonhoeffer's theology (for world peace, costly grace, social justice, understanding of church's role in society, ethics under an opressive murderous regime, Christ's role in a believer's life and in ecclesiastical matters) and internal struggles that made him return to a dangerous Germany after an eclectic and ecumenical experience abroad in more than 3 countries. Also a key element is how the struggle of being a true Christian to the gospel message in Nazi Germany changed Dietrich from a Pacifist to a collaborator and activist with the Resistance that was plotting and carrying Hitler's assassination attempts.
Another interesting aspect of this DVD film are the details of his romance and courtship with Maria von Wedermeyer, who became his fianc? (I won't spoil the details here).
For the non-Christian viewer this film is valuable in understanding at what level and under what circumstances the two main German state-churches (Catholic and Lutheran Evangelical) collaborated with the Nazi regime and how they tried to achieve their agenda (as a result of the devastation that WWI had on the lives of former Christians) by compromising with an evil regime. Also of historical interest, the discussion of how the Confessing Church (which was the only religious body who stood against Hitler and his henchmen) started and operated. For philosophers and humanists, this movie is an excellent discussion on the topics of "ethics" (also a book Bonhoeffer titled). Equally important is the discussion of how this man's faith in a supreme being (the God of the Bible) helped him to make decisions that others would not have made.
In the end, his legacy was even noted by the SS camp doctor who noted his faith and his certainty that God had heard him, after Dietrich prayed fervently to God kneeling on the floor of his cell and than another prayer before he bravely and composedly climbed the steps of the gallows ("Hanged on the Twisted Cross" film by T.D. Mohan)
He said, "This is the end. For me ... the beginning of life!"
And what a 'life' that was ... and is.
Movie Review: Good, but easy to get a distorted impression
Summary: 5 Stars
This is recommended viewing for all, particularly in our time when many want to rewrite history to villanize Christians. 'Bonhoeffer' tells the story of the Church Struggle (Kirchenkampf) through the lens of this one man and does a reasonably good job of it. But, I think some preparation is necessary if one is to view this film.
The viewer should do some prior reading on Hitler's puppet church, the German Christians (Deutsche Christen); on the Confessing Church (Bekennende Kirche); on the hateful tract Luther wrote against the Jews late in his life; and on how Hitler wanted to invoke churchly things to bring about his own paganized form of Nazi Christianity. I suggest this because I can compare the impressions I gained from my first viewing of the film on PBS with my impressions after watching the film again on DVD. It is the same film, but after the first viewing I came away with the impression Luther was a terrible anit-Semite and the churches did little or nothing to oppose Hitler's injustices because they actively supported him. After watching it a second time I saw that it really is more faithful to the actual record of history, but too often important events get only one or two quick mentions. The viewer needs to be well-read in the role of the church during the period, or he gets a skewed impression. For example, a guest commentator does make the point Luther's unkind remarks against the Jews had been preceded years earlier by a very warm and kindly tract on the Jews that was very favorably received by them. His later antipathy was not racial, but theological and seems to have come from an expected conversion of Jews to Chirst that never happened. At times the film does not clearly enough distinguish when 'church' refers to Hitler's puppet church and when it refers to those who continued to follow Christ rather than Hitler. The film mentions all of the right things, but the viewer could easily miss their import and relation to other things.
The film also makes the point that the Confessing Church said nothing after The Night of Broken Glass. I have read about one pastor who did protest from his pulpit a few days later. The Gestapo came quickly, dragged him into a public street, and beat him severely as a warning to all others who would criticize the Regime. The Roman Catholic Church protested The Night of Broken Glass and the Nazis increased their torture of Jews just to teach the Catholic hierarchy a lesson not to interfere. It would have been good for this film to have noted some of these things for a more balanced view.
Certainly time in any film limits the scope of what can be covered. Some of my concerns above could have been eased if the film had been able to give attention to resistance movements against Hitler that were due to individual Christians acting out of their own involvment in their churches long after the church heirarchies had been neutralized by Hitler's cunning and police state tactics. Examples of this are the Scholls and their effort called The White Rose, the fact all 167 conspirators arrested and executed after the von Stauffenberg attempt on Hitler's life said they acted out of the training and influence they had received through their churches, Bishop von Galen's single-handed protests against the euthanasia program that led to its cancellation, or the torture of priests resulting when the papal encyclical "With Burning Concern" was read in the Roman Catholic churches.
Movie Review: Relevant
Summary: 5 Stars
I've always vaguely known who Bonhoeffer was. I once inherited an old, yellowed copy of The Cost of Discipleship that has sat unread on my shelf for several years. Recently though, I happened to hear the interview Martin Doblmeier did on NPR about this film, and shortly thereafter, I had happened upon an excellent essay by Marilynne Robinson on Bonhoeffer in the book I was reading (The Death of Adam). I was intrigued and sought to try to clear up that vague picture of Bonhoeffer that I held by watching this film. So anyway, I'm hardly an expert on Bonhoeffer's life, but from my limited perspective, I can say that this was a good introduction to his story. At the very least, I've been inspired by this film to learn whatever I can about this fascinating man.
The documentary, as others have noted, is a very straightforward narrative retelling of Bonhoeffer's life--his birth and upbringing, the theological experiences that led to his decision to oppose the Nazis, the theology he developed in response to those circumstances, the acts of resistance (participating in the Confessing Church, leading an illegal seminary, and working in the effort to assassinate Hitler). Nothing else but that story is needed for this to be a riveting film. Bonhoeffer's story and person is enough to carry it. The narrative is interspersed with readings from Bonhoeffer's own poetic, theological writings, the beauty of which almost matches that of the life he managed to live.
Two things, particularly, struck me about the documentary. First, Doblmeier was able to interview quite a few people who actually knew Bonhoeffer--his best friend, his would-have-been sister-in-law, several students--along with some key theologians involved with his work. What struck me was how these people, even sixty years after Bonhoeffer's death, remember him so vividly and exhibit such an acute admiration and a palpable passion for Bonhoeffer himself. Thankfully, Doblmeier didn't set out to do hagiography here, and he doesn't. Nevertheless, those interviewed here cannot seem to help conveying the sense that they are in awe of the fact that Bonhoeffer's life touched each of their lives. That veneration they hold is profoundly communicated to the viewer.
Second, I was struck by how Bonhoeffer's theology was informed so by his year-long experience in America. The documentary explains how Bonhoeffer's engagement with the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York taught him about injustice and the responsibilities of the church when faced with it. The lessons learned there influenced Bonhoeffer to speak against the Nazi government and against the parts of the church which was complicit in the Nazi atrocities.
I think it was this American episode that hammered home to me very powerfully a sense of Bonhoeffer's ongoing relevance. I'm not sure that the church has yet learned many of the lessons that the Holocaust should have taught us. As a result, Bonhoeffer's thought and his life, it seems to me, have as much to tell the church today as they did sixty years ago.
Movie Review: Christian Pastor Who Resisted Hitler...
Summary: 5 Stars
Notable for its presentation, interview "gets" and unique archival footage, BONHOEFFER: PASTOR, PACIFIST, NAZI RESISTOR is a powerful, concisely comprehensive look at Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life as a theologian, pastor, and ultimately double-agent who actively resisted Hitler, in contrast to most of Germany's church who were either indifferent or in active support of the Nazis, as seen in film photos of pastors giving the Nazi salute and enormous swastikas over church marriage ceremonies. PhD at 24, hanged at 39, Bonhoeffer's example and writings live on, thanks to the efforts of his student and best friend Eberhard Bethge, whose last interview is included in this documentary. Also interviewed are Bonhoefer's niece, his nephew (whose own father was executed for the conspiracy), other former students, the sister of his fiance Maria, Desmond Tutu, and various theologians and historians.
Of the films on Bonhoeffer, this is the one to watch first since it manages to fit both in and together so many pieces of Bonhoeffer's full life--vibrant worship at a Harlem church, influence of Niebuhr, early radio criticism of Hitler, shame and torment over not speaking at the funeral of his sister's Jewish father-in-law, writings on topics such as the relationship of church and state, setting aside a trip to visit Gandhi in order to start an illegal seminary, and becoming a spy ostensibly travelling to gather info for the Nazis but in reality trying to garner support from the worldwide church and the allies. The movie is filled with excerpts from Bonhoeffer's timeless writings, with samples being included in the DVD special features. And beyond Bonhoeffer, the movie draws attention to the German context, particularly the failure of the church, both the church that alligned with Hitler as well as the Confessing Church that broke off but was largely silent. The overall film emphasis, though, is on Bonhoeffer's belief of the necessity of active faith, responding to the will of God.
(There is one DVD negative, an accompanying movie trailer: Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky In Our Time. Chomsky's life and teaching are antithetical to what Bonhoeffer stood for and including this trailer disgusts me as it totally turns Bonhoeffer's message of the church suffering with the oppressed on its head. In the name of peace, Chomsky instead aids enemies of peace through his antiIsrael words and activities, such as meeting with the terrorist group Hizbullah. Bonhoeffer specifically saw the Jewish of his time as oppressed, even drawing parallels of their oppression with the black Americans he encountered in Harlem. Bonhoeffer, based on his reliance upon scripture and keen discernment, would see that despite today's propaganda, it is tiny Israel who is oppressed and in need of church support as she is surrounded by enormous Arab and Muslim populations to destroy her.)