Review of Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005) by Bob M — 22 Jan 2010

I have to admit, I love historical dramas and this is a good one. I am fascinated by Nazi Germany and how human beings could have allowed such a group to have such power. Well this movie shows exactly how. No free speech, thought or action was allowed, especially if it was critical of the Nazi party, the war and Hitler in particular. Allow the dregs of society to be placed in positions of power and hold the power of life and death over decent citizens.

What is most amazing to me, the dissidents knew the wages of their actions would be death, yet they continued anyway. This movie was the story of just such a dissident. A truly heroic woman who stuck to her humanitarian values despite the threat of death for speaking out. The tension of the interrogation was superb. The insanity of the presiding judge at her trial was a stark reminder of how the Nazi party abused it citizen's and their rights.

Would I have been able to hold to my convictions in the face of such societal acceptance of human rights violations? I would hope so and watching such a young woman do that was highly inspirational. More scary to me, is that I can't rule out the possibility that it could happen here in America. If you don't think so, just ask the Dixie Chicks about what happened to them after 9/11 when they chose not to support the war in Iraq.....