Sophie Scholl, the Final Days

[Lydia Leftcoast]

I seem to watch movies that are leaving Instant View, and this was no exception.

Siblings Sophie and Hans Scholl were major figures in an anti-Nazi student group at the University of Munich, the White Rose Society. They started out with anti-Nazi graffiti and moved on to sending anonymous letters that told the truth about the regime. Sophie and Hans were arrested when they were caught leaving some of their literature in a university building.

The film focuses mostly on Sophie's interrogation and trial. By all accounts, she showed remarkable calm when faced with interrogators and courtroom judges who acted like Glenn Beck, but the conclusion was never in doubt, and she, her brother, and several other members of White Rose were executed (guillotined, actually--I had thought that the Nazis hanged political prisoners).

But Sophie is no immovable plaster saint. Beneath the brave exterior is a very frightened young woman who hates what the arrest of two of their children will do to her family. This is brought out in conversations with her cell mate, who is in prison for being a Communist.

I first heard of the White Rose Society when I was studying German in high school, but this provided a lot of interesting background material.

Since the film is basically PG-rated, it could serve as teaching material for a high school or college class that was studying World War II.

[bif]

1. Great movie. I agree!

There are many other excellent WWII movies. Check my other posts for recs.