The title of Terrence Malick’s new film is taken from a George Eliot quote on the final page of Middlemarch: “The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.” The “unhistoric act” the film refers to is Franz Jägerstätter’s refusal to swear an oath to Hitler and fight for the Nazis during World War II. It’s a thought-provoking story, which asks tough questions concerning faith and religion. It’s a timely story, thanks to the rise of extreme nationalism. It’s also a poignant and deeply affecting story; the writer-director’s best film since 2011’s Tree of Life.
Source: IGN.com A Hidden Life Review