World War II films generally cast the Japanese and Germans as the "bad guys" without differentiating between the governments and the many people who stood against their aggression. Films like Schindler's List or Valkyrie provide insight into some of the opposition among German citizens to the war. Sophie Sholl falls into the latter category. There is no plot twist at the end. This film is a recounting of a true story (that appears to track the actual events closely). If you are concerned about spoilers, this review does reveal some major details regarding the film.
Sophie Sholl was a central figure in the White Rose, a non-violent anti-Nazi movement that sprung from the University of Munich. Her true story is recaptured in this film that begins in the final days of the White Rose. Rather than spending a great deal of the film explaining the origins of the organization, the film picks up with the distribution of the final (Sixth) Leaflet produced by the group. The majority of the film examines the interrogation and investigation that followed the Sholl's arrests.
Sophie (Julia Jentsch) and Hans (Fabian Hinrichs) are intellectuals whose father taught them to be open-minded. They both exhibit incredible courage in their mission to expose the Third Reich. Hans was a former soldier, Sophie a nurse. After mailing out hundred of copies of their Sixth Leaflet, they find that they have many more to distribute. Hans unwisely volunteers to distribute the leaflets at Munich University while classes are in session. The decision is extremely risky.
The siblings take the extra leaflets to the University concealed in a suitcase. After laying small stacks around the various columns along the main hallways, they depart. When Sophie tells Hans that there are still pamphlets in the suitcase, they decide to leave them on the upper floor. Just as they are preparing to leave again, the change of class bell chimes. Classes let out just as Sophie pushed a stack of leaflets off the upper balcony. As Hans and Sophie attempt to depart, the school janitor fingers them as the perpetrators. Aside from the evidence of their own involvement, Hans has evidence implicating others in the movement. That evidence includes a draft of the Seventh Leaflet penned by Christoph Probst (Florian Stetter).
The remainder of the movie focuses on the interrogation of the youngsters. The majority of that focus is on the subtle dialogue between Investigator Mohr (Alexander Held) and Sophie. The interrogation moves along sluggishly but with some interesting tidbits that created dimension in the intellectual tango between the two. Sophie is extremely intelligent but Mohr is on top of his craft. Ultimately, Sophie balks at the chance to save herself and faces her trial and execution with dignity.
Because a great deal of the film centered on the interrogation, most of my impressions came from that portion of the film. The first thing that struck me was the context of the interview. My impression was that Sophie could not possibly sell her argument that she merely pushed the leaflets from the balcony. It almost seemed like they were going to spin the story that way, but Mohr was merely giving her the rope to hang herself. By allowing her to trap herself in a story, Mohr was able to come back and expose the fallacies. The dialogue during those exchanges was measured, intelligent and credible. The recreation of Sophie's interrogation appeared to have been extensively researched.
Rich dialogue and great chemistry made the interrogation scenes interesting. Mohr had a subtle confidence that was almost mechanical. His deliberate construction of the process was interesting to observe. Sophie had a smug confidence that was part heroism, part fanaticism and part ignorance that her intellect could get her out of her situation. When she realizes that she can not maintain her own innocence she moves to protect her friends. Her attitude changes from confident intelligence to outward defiance. Jentsch brought her character an engaging comfort in the role that made her character larger than life. It was a big, complex role that Jentsch made seem like child's play. Jentsch's facial expression often speaks volumes to the audience.
With historic films accuracy is important to me. I understand that there has to be some embellishment to keep things interesting. I also understand that dialogue has to be created in the absence of records. There were records in this case and they appear to have been well researched. The film tracked the historical accounts I have read closely with rich dialogue rather than embellishment used to engage the audience. The only by-product of that approach is a sluggishness that sets in during parts of the film. They did add to the feel of despair but tended to also be boring. Those stretches were minor in the overall scheme of things, but did stand out enough that I noticed.
The version of Sophie Sholl that I watched was unrated. I would not have any reservations about any age group watching this film. It is an historic accounting and skirts most issues that might be problematic for young audiences. There is no nudity, no sensuality or sexuality, mild language and little in the way of violence. A guillotine is present in one scene but no violence is depicted. There is some audio that might be troubling, but younger viewers probably would not figure it out. Smoking was probably the worst thing this film offered.
Sophie Sholl is an excellent film that I would highly recommend. The film depicts a small group of twenty-something intellectuals who gave their lives to challenge the Third Reich. They are held as heroes in German history. Their cause is documented accurately in a stark, sometimes moving portrayal of the events following their arrest. Although sluggish at times, the film was engaging. Most notably, Jentsch's performance. The film is well worth the two hours you will invest in it. 7.5/10
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