Review of Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005) by Zarinah H — 14 Jan 2010

These are the words spoken by Julia Jentsch in her portrayal of Sophie Scholl, a 21-year-old Munich university student who together with her brother Hans and a couple of other students were also members of the White Rose, an anti-Nazi movement devoted to increasing people's consciousness about the evils of the Nazi regime (they printed anti-Nazi pamphlets to be distributed to the public). The movie focuses on her arrest, interrogation and eventual execution by the Nazis over the course of five days (this is not a spoiler since the title itself reveals her fate). This movie, directed by Marc Rothemund is compelling not only because of the luminous and credible portrayal of Sophie by Ms. Jentsch, but also because the inspiration for the movie is drawn from actual Nazi transcripts (which had been inaccessible for the longest time as they were held by East Germany) of the interrogation and trial, lending the production credibility and a high element of realism.

The movie's highlight is mainly the intellectually-charged conversations between Sophie and her Nazi interrogator, Robert Mohr (Alexander Held) who is a staunch Nazi and determined to tear down Sophie's defenses and get her to reveal the truth about her and the others' subversive activities. Over a period of time however, he comes to realize that Sophie possesses an inner resilience and an indomitable spirit rare for one so young. In a fit of frustration, Mohr asks Sophie, "You're so gifted. Why don't you think and feel like us?" At some point, Sophie says, "You have the wrong world view, not me." Her absolute conviction, rooted in her own Christian beliefs shines through not just in her altercations with Mohr, but in her conversations with her cellmate, and also in her prayers.

The movie is basically in three parts - the distribution of the pamphlets which lead to the arrest of Sophie and her peers, the interrogation which takes up most of the movie, and the trial leading up to the execution. The trial sees the judge Roland Freisler (played by Andre Hennicke) showering abuse upon the three accused - Sophie, her brother Hans, and fellow White Rose conspirator Christoph Probst. Freisler presides over the show trial, acting not just as a judge, but prosecutor and jury, and his vocal outbursts reminded me of Joseph Goebbels' fiery speeches, denouncing those who did not subscribe to the principles of the Third Reich. Despite these outbursts, Sophie maintains her composure and her parting words in court are memorable indeed, a verdict delivered by an innocent upon the wicked. This is a movie about a remarkable young woman, one who dared to stand up against an evil regime, at the cost of her own life - and who reflected a courageous and spiritual calmness till her final moments. Another film which touches on the subject is The White Rose [VHS starring Lena Stolze as Sophie Scholl.