3 Powerful Lessons from the Movie ‘Bonhoeffer’

1. It Urges Us to Speak Out against Injustice

Director Todd Komarnicki masterfully weaves a gripping narrative, showing us the aftermath of Bonhoeffer's courageous actions before it unfolds the story of his heroics. In the film's opening scenes, we watch as Bonhoeffer and his fellow prisoners are transported on a bus to a prison in Bavaria, Germany, where they see human skulls and skeletal fragments alongside the road.

Soon, however, the story takes us back in time to Bonhoeffer's childhood, where we see him watching his older brother, Walter, depart for the front lines of the Great War, a conflict that claimed Walter's life. From there, we follow Bonhoeffer through pivotal moments, including his transformative time in America and his return to a Germany on the verge of war.

He's a man who is not afraid to confront injustice and evil.

Told that his black friend cannot stay in an American motel, Bonhoeffer stands up to the manager, pointing to a cross on the wall near the reception desk. "Surely our love of the Lord unites us," he pleads. Bonhoeffer, though, only receives cruel treatment -- he's spat upon and beaten.

Hearing a German bishop label Hitler a "savior" to loud applause, Bonhoeffer walks out of the sermon and subsequently confronts a Nazi-sympathizing friend. "The church does not belong to him or any man," he tells his friend, referencing the bishop and Hitler. "It belongs to the living God."

Several scenes later, Bonhoeffer himself stands at the pulpit and proclaims to Nazi soldiers in attendance: "The German church must stand on God's Word alone, not any man's word, and especially not a Fuhrer's word." The soldiers leave in protest, but Bonhoeffer is undaunted.

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2. It Reveals How We Can Be Blind to Evil in Our Own Time

At first, Bonhoeffer is blind to the evil in his own nation. Yet even when his eyes are opened, the rest of the German church remains quiet -- either out of fear or complicity.

Crucifixes of Christ and statues of saints are torn down. In their place are lifted Nazi imagery, including swastikas. When confronted with declining morality within the church, a German bishop boasts to Bonhoeffer, "Our churches are fuller than they have been in years." 

Bonhoeffer, though, remains unimpressed. The problem isn't attendance but rather the message. Incredibly, the German church even buys the Nazi propaganda about Jews. 

"Hitler will resolve the Jewish question," a bishop reassures Bonhoeffer, assuming the two are on the same side. 

"Why must there even be a Jewish question?" an incredulous Bonhoeffer responds.

Bonhoeffer travels to England, where he requests support for the small band of German Christians opposing Hitler. At first, British clergy are resistant, calling it a German problem with little impact on the world. Bonhoeffer, though, insists that Hitler's targeting of Jews requires international outrage. "Our silence in the face of evil is itself evil," he says. "Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

Eventually, Bonhoeffer's bold action influences the German bishops around him. One of those bishops, Martin Noemoller, shifts from a supporter of Hitler to a steadfast opponent -- thanks to the voice of Bonhoeffer and others.

"When the Nazis first came for the socialists, I didn't speak out because I was not a socialist," Noemoller preaches from the pulpit hours prior to his arrest. "And when they later came for the trade unionists, I didn't speak out because I am not a unionist. And then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out, not soon enough, because I am not a Jew. So, when they come to knock at my door, will there be anyone left to speak out for me?"

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3. It Shows How the Courage of One Person Can Inspire Change

Eventually, Bonhoeffer joins a plot to assassinate Hitler, resisting his pacifistic impulses to try and stop the Nazi madman. Hitler is not the first evil leader in world history, Bonhoeffer explains, but "he's the first one I can stop."

The plot, of course, failed, and Hitler's evil march continued. Hitler even outlived Bonhoeffer, although by only three weeks. (In the film's final moments, Bonhoeffer turns down an opportunity to escape from prison, believing it would place his wife and children in jeopardy.)  

It's worth asking: Why do we still remember Bonhoeffer? It's because he displayed moral courage in the face of overwhelming evil. He spoke up when others remained silent. He changed hearts when others were indifferent. He defended the innocent when others looked away. He was even willing to die when others chose self-preservation. 

Six months after the war, the German Lutheran church issued a statement of repentance, acknowledging that "through us … infinite wrong was done." The names of the cowardly Christian leaders who survived are known only to a few historians. But the name of the man who stood boldly against injustice -- and who died a martyr -- is remembered by millions worldwide.

Bonhoeffer is a gripping movie with a few surprises and plenty of inspiration. It includes minor language (details below) and mild violence. (The execution by hanging, if you're curious, takes place off-screen -- although the sound of it is heard.)

It's one of the most inspiring movies of the year.

Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating: 4 out of 5 stars. 

Rated PG-13 for violent content, thematic elements, and some smoking. Language details: h-ll (1), d--n (1), SOB (1). 

Discussion questions: Why do you think the German church was silent in the face of evil? What injustices or wrongs in our society might people fail to see or acknowledge? What lessons can we learn from Bonhoeffer's life? Do you agree with his attempt to assassinate Hitler? (Why or why not?)

Photo Credit: ©Angel Studios