The cat-and-mouse scenes were interesting and well done, owing mostly to the excellent portrayal, subtle and chilling, of the interrogator.
I understand the problems of the director: Sophie and her cohorts were guilty of printing anti-Hitler propaganda. Not exactly the stuff of exciting cinema.
So, to tell the story, he decided to concentrate on her post-capture interrogation, trial, and death.
But to portray this realistically would utterly be depressing--too much so for the director, anyway.
What we get is Sophie lecturing her Nazi persecutors far more than would be tolerated.
What is clear from true accounts of people in these circumstances is the immediate de-humanization to which they are subjected: Sophie is treated at all times with great respect, even having a sympathetic guard to console and support her.
The courtroom scenes were trite, replete with red-faced screaming judge and platitude reciting defendants.
Worst of all is Sophie's portrayal. Bloodless. No emotion.
She may as well have been captured for jaywalking.
One scene especially is telling.
A few moments before she is to be executed, she finally has her first chance to spend a moment with her brother and the other defendant. Does she run to him, holding him for the last time?
No.
She calmly lights a cigarrete, walks to him, shares a puff or two, and then finally, carefully embraces both men.
Bloodless, as I said.
The film did make we think of Bush and Gonzalez, though...
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Topic - Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. Disappointing. (Spoiler) - tinear 09:21:36 03/15/07 (10)
- The actress was cute though! (nt - Eldragon 20:40:30 03/15/07 (0)
- Your warped, liberal hatred clouds your vision...... - mr grits 10:28:32 03/15/07 (6)
- You should include "spoiler" if you're going to tell something vital. - tinear 13:51:34 03/15/07 (5)
- I have always thought that the idea of putting that word in the title was silly - Victor Khomenko 20:02:20 03/15/07 (4)
- Well, sometimes, like in my post below specific things about the ending are being spoken about - sjb 20:10:55 03/15/07 (3)
- No, SJ, I wasn't being "defensive." Grits mentioned a very specific item, - tinear 04:38:46 03/16/07 (1)
- I was just giving you - sjb 07:09:22 03/16/07 (0)
- Funny you mentioned your post... I was just reading it - Victor Khomenko 20:15:35 03/15/07 (0)
- I had a compleetely different experience of this film. - sjb 09:29:59 03/15/07 (1)
- Agreed . . . "excellent and quietly devastating" (nt) - townsend 20:36:56 03/15/07 (0)