Sophie Scholl: The Final Days

As a person who spent many years 'making art', I could not be more amazed reading some of the comments. I've just been to a preview of Sophie Scholl in Manchester, England; and I am not only glad that this movie has been made, but also that it is done at the time when young people are happier to do 'whatever' rather than have any principles.

There is no point debating historical accuracy. As it followed from the Q&A session with Marc Rothemund following the preview, not only the filming took place at the original locations that are still there, but the crew went at great length doing things 'right', including getting the weather reports for February 1943. Yes, there is this strange feeling of looking at the film's title, which sounds like the title for a documentary. But then I didn't gather the impression that Rothemund's goal was to poeticise the story of Sophie Scholl. I think it is quite enough that in Germany she is perceived as a martyr. What Sophie Scholl - Die Letzten Tage does successfully is it shows a person behind the image, a young girl (younger than myself), who was prepared to die for her idea, but desperately loved life.

I read critical comments, and mine was in part sparked by them. Far from trying to debate their correctness, I'll do exactly what I always do on these occasions. Guys, those of you who decide to write next dismissive drag, instead tell us how you would direct in Rothemund's place. Or how would you act in place of Julia Jentsch? If you have really valid suggestions, we'll all be happy to hear.

German film is on its way again and this is another example. Sophie Scholl was a member of the White Rose, who distributed pamphlets against Hitler at the Munich university in 1943. That was of course suicide. Gestapo got them.

This is not only a recapitulation. Far from it. There is also a small but strong mini drama between Scholl and the Gestapo interrogator and despite the situation and what in the end can't be avoided, it's not clear who really wins that battle.

Very good acting by Julia Jentsch and Gerald Alexander Held here. A real nightmare and a perverse situation, but still taken out of life. This is not only drama. It is also possible.

Sophie Scholl, at one point of her trial, tells the judge and his cronies, as well as the audience of cowards attending the proceedings, that soon they all will be seating in the place she is now occupying. History proved her right as most of the same people that condemned her for treason were proved to be the real traitors.

Marc Rothemund, the director, working on Fred Beinersdorfer's screen play, presents us with a courageous figure, Sophie Scholl, who saw the atrocities the Third Reich was doing to her country and dared to speak about it when confronted by the regime.

Sophie was part of the student's organization, White Rose, that wanted to inform the German people about facts that were never challenged by anyone because of the consequences such action would mean for whoever spoke the truth. Sophie and her brother were instrumental for several pamphlets informing the population about things that the regime's propaganda didn't tell the German people. Sophie mentioned the unmentionable, the extermination of the Jews, and even the elimination of sick children by people gone mad.

The main part of the film involves the interrogation Robert Mohr subjects Sophie as soon as she is arrested. In their exchange Sophie shows an amazing courage and never is seen as being scared of what will happen to her. After she admits to the charges, even Mohr seems to be amazed by her intelligence and resolve.

Julia Jentsch is the main reason for seeing this movie. Ms. Jentsch gives a luminous performance as the woman who challenged the higher ups in charge of her country. Gerald Alexander Held, who is seen as Robert Mohr, makes an impression as the man who questions Sophie's motives and tries to break her spirit. Johanna Gastdorf is seen as the kind Else, who shares a cell with Sophie.

"Sophie Scholl" is an intelligent film that shows a talented director, Marc Rothemund, and a bright young star of the German cinema, Julia Jentsch, in a film about courage and decency during a crazy time where all hope seemed to have disappeared from Germany.

In 1943, in Munich, the siblings Sophie Magdalena Scholl (Julia Jentsch) and Hans Scholl (Fabian Hinrichs) distribute anti-Nazi pamphlets in the University of Munich. However, they are arrested by the Gestapo and Sophie is interrogated by Robert Mohr (Alexander Held).

Sophie becomes loyal to her ideal and to her comrades of The White Rose resistance group and pleads guilty of all charges to save them. In a couple of days, she is judged by a Nazi court with her brother Hans and their friend Christoph Probst (Florian Stetter ) and they are sentenced to death and beheaded.

"Sophie Scholl - Die Letzten Tage" recreates the last days of the twenty-one year-old Sophie Magdalena Scholl, who was a student of the University of Munich and leader of the Anti-Nazi resistance group The White Rose. This awarded film has great performances and direction, and the dialogs are awesome, specially the ideological discussion between Sophie and Mohr during the interrogation.

I am a big fan of German movies and for those who liked "Sophie Scholl - Die Letzten Tage", there is another good film about this resistance group named "Die Weiße Rose" (1982). My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Mulher Contra Hitler" ("A Woman against Hitler")

This film is not about the „Weisse Rose" (White Rose) resistance group, nor is it about Sophie Scholl. It sticks very closely to its title, and only deals with the last days of Sophie Scholl. Having staked out such a narrow subject, Marc Rothemund is able to narrate the story in great detail. This allows the use of pauses in the dialogue which add to the credibility and drama. I read the official version of the interrogation before seeing the film, and felt that a very good effort had been made to reconstruct what may have actually happened. I also felt that the atmosphere which the film conveyed to be entirely plausible for that time, which I am not old enough to have lived through. For instance, the characters always seemed to be holding back, and not opening their feelings to each other.

Because the official version of the interrogation was dictated by Robert Mohr, it is certain to contain many gaps, such as the lines of questioning before reaching Sophie Scholl's quoted replies. The film may have tended to be too dramatic in filling those gaps. It was surely too dramatic in showing so many chance encounters in the various corridors. Perhaps this tendency to over-dramatise was necessary to present the otherwise rather dry historical events. At least the final result was almost believable, in contrast to many films about the past, and it was an improvement on earlier films covering the White Rose, simply because so much more has come to light since they were made.

This is one of the best dramatic reconstructions of historical events that I have seen.