About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Documentary on a principled and moral life.



Pros

• Biography of the pastor, pacifist, and Nazi Resister
• Thorough and carefully told
• Klaus Maria Brandauer narrates

Cons

• Could be more engaging

Description

• USA, 2003. 93 mins.
• Selected Bonhoeffer Texts
• Director Interview
• Profiles
• Archival Photo Gallery

Guide Review - Bonhoeffer DVD

Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the few German voices for peace and sanity during the Third Reich, a pacifist and religious man who stood up for his faith while the church embraced Nazism.

Bonhoeffer became involved in a plot to kill Hitler and was arrested and executed during the final days of the war. This documentary by Martin Doblmeier (featuring the voice of Klaus Maria Brandauer) tells Bonhoeffer's story with appropriate gravitas, which is to say, in a serious but somewhat dry manner that feels a little like eating granola: you know it's good for you, but it's not particularly engaging. Bonhoeffer's story, however, should be told and remembered