Bonhoeffer movie invites admiration and reflection

By CathNews New Zealand

March 18th, 2025

A scene from the movie 'Bonhoeffer' (Pamphleteer)

Bonhoeffer is a portrait of a man widely considered one of the great Christian figures of the 20th century for his stance against Nazi fascism, which ultimately led to his death. Source: Australian Catholics.

The title of his most famous book, The Cost of Discipleship, with its distinction between cheap grace and costly grace, has been powerfully influential on living Christian discipleship.

The film portrays Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s involvement in a deadly plot to assassinate Hitler, risking his faith and fate to save millions of Jews from genocide.

Bonhoeffer is sponsored by Angel Studios, the American Christian production company, responsible recently for Sound of Freedom and Cabrini.

This is a portrait of Bonhoeffer, not a full biography, but the film highlights key issues in his life. In fact, there are quite a number of other films about Bonhoeffer, some biographies and, in 2025, another cinema portrait, Holy Traitor.

There is a complex structure for the screenplay. There are initial sequences of the lively young Dietrich and his family in 1914, in the midst of World War One.

Then there is a transition to 1945, where we see Bonhoeffer imprisoned, experiencing flashbacks of the past as he awaits his impending execution. The flashbacks are always seen in the light of his ultimate fate and faith.

Commentators have pointed out that many aspects of Bonhoeffer’s life are not included and there have been some changes in factual aspects, especially the location of his death.

This film is an opportunity to see Bonhoeffer, admire him, reflect on his moral choices, reflect on his faith, costly grace and the final cost of his discipleship.

Review by Fr Peter Malone MSC, Jesuit Media

Bonhoeffer opens in selected New Zealand cinemas on March 27.

FULL REVIEW

Bonhoeffer (Australian Catholics)