Film Reviews

Sophie Scholl

• Rating:
• Director: Marc Rothemund
• Starring: Fabian Hinrichs
• Details: Germany, 177mins, 15s.

When two members of The White Rose - a student underground resistance group determined to overthrow Hitler's Third Reich - Sophie (Jentsch) and her brother Hans (Hinrichs) are picked up by the Gestapo for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets in front of their Munich University and are subjected to interrogation and torture under the guidance of Commissioner Mohr (Held). Sophie, embroiled in a psychological tug-of-war with Mohr, confesses all when her brother can take no more and the pair are put to death for high treason that same day. The movie centres on the conversations Sophie has with Mohr and, like the torture scenes in 1984, they become the focus point of the entire story: the twists and turns during the three-day interrogation produce some of the best acting this year. Jentsch is a delight as she brings out Scholl's moral stature and courage and the scene where she says goodbye to her family is a heartbreaker. Jentsch was up against it taking on this famed role, since legendary German actress Lena Stolze had already played the character twice in two critically acclaimed roles more than twenty years ago. It's not all doom and gloom, however, as director Marc Rothemund tries to lighten the proceedings with one or two humorous scenes. If it wasn't for the release of another magnificent German film, Downfall, Sophie Scholl would get the nod for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars.

Review by Gavin Burke