Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. review

Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. is based on the fascinating life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a noted German pastor and anti-Nazi dissident whose teachings on the role of the church still resonate today. The biopic, written and directed by Todd Komarnicki, has its own flashes of fascination though it’s missing a certain spark to feel more like a committed re-enactment.

The film opens on the Bonhoeffer estate with a young Dietrich (Phileas Heyblom) playing an extended game of tag with his older brother, Walter (Patrick Moelleken). Komarnicki effectively conveys the loving, tight-knit bond of the family as the brothers race around their parents and siblings in the spacious grounds.

This happiness doesn’t last long as Walter is killed in action during World War I. Komarnicki starts getting creative with a non-linear format jumping to a now adult Dietrich (Jonas Dassler) heading to a Nazi prison. Scribbling into a small notebook, Dietrich begins writing of his time in America — specifically Harlem.

Bonhoeffer traveled to America in hopes of securing a fellowship at the Union Theological Seminary in New York. Dietrich’s made fast friends with fellow classmates, Frank Fisher (David Jonsson, Alien: Romulus). Not having been ingrained with prejudices toward other races as a child, Dietrich welcomed seeing New York beyond the seminary as Frank took him to Harlem and exposed him to jazz.

This scene was one of the film’s standouts. Komarnicki brings a real sense of energy and excitement as Dassler delivers a charismatic turn as a young man who isn’t even aware of racial strife. All Dietrich knows is how welcoming Frank and his pastor, Rev. Powell Sr. (Clarke Peters, Luke Cage), are of this bright blonde guy from Germany. In his travels with Frank, Bonhoeffer experiences the cruelness and potentially life-threatening dangers of racism.

Those incidents with Frank give Dietrich more perspective upon returning to Germany and learning of the rise of Hitler (Marc Bessant).

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Komarnicki, the screenwriter for Sully, has experience writing layered characters and has no trouble presenting Dietrich’s virtuous nature. Dietrich immediately starts speaking out against Hitler, amazed that his messages of hate and intolerance are spreading so quickly throughout Germany. The timing of Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. is interesting considering this most recent presidential election and the easily drawn parallels with the rise of the Nazi party.

Consulting with one of his longtime friends, Martin Niemoller (August Diehl who ironically played a Nazi officer in Inglourious Basterds), Dietrich begins taking increasingly more defiant stances against the Nazi party. While other church organizations fell under their sway, Dietrich was a staunch opponent of the Nazi teachings.

Opposing the Nazis was dangerous forcing Dietrich to go on the run rather than risk being imprisoned. Kormarnicki can only create so much tension and suspense in these moments since all roads lead to Dietrich eventually being captured and jailed.

Komarnicki struggles somewhat in keeping the timelines of these incidents clear. It also doesn’t help that the flashbacks lack any kind of filters or altered appearance to clearly distinguish various points in Dietrich’s life. Dassler bares a decent resemblance to the actual Bonhoeffer, but the hair and makeup team doesn’t alter his look to any noticeable degree from the point he’s in Harlem to his imprisonment. Maybe a little thinning of his hairline would have helped convey some passage of time?

Dassler does a commendable job as the film’s glue. He’s not vying for an Oscar, instead simply delivering an earnest and steady performance of an inspiring historical figure.

As a pacifist, there was only so much Dietrich could do while a war was playing out, but he did aid in getting some Nazi prisoners to safe passage. And he was essentially a traveling preacher teaching pop-up seminary. The risks Dietrich took were incalculable, but Komarnicki doesn’t embellish the facts enough to interject more excitement or edge of your seat moments.

That does happen when Bonhoeffer becomes involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. Dietrich rationalizes his role as being a necessary evil to stop a madman. It’s a tense moment but lacks a certain oomph as he was more of a co-conspirator and not in Hitler’s face or planting explosives in this assassination attempt.

While some aspects of Bonhoeffer’s life require a trip through Wikipedia, Komarnicki tries to hit all the major highlights within the film’s two hour run time. Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. isn’t the most exciting biopic that’s come to theaters in a while, but it’s a respectful and encouraging example of how impactful just one person can be when they stand on their principals.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Photo Credit: Angel Studios

Check out The Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoeffer on Amazon.

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