THE WHITE ROSE Movie Review

Die Weisse Rose

1983 Michael Verhoeven

Stories of the resistance movement in World War II tend to take on an heroic, almost mythic quality. That is precisely not the case with this one. It's based on fact, and every frame has the unmistakable look of truth. From an introduction that lists the names of the young protagonists and the dates of their executions, to a conclusion that stops the action abruptly at just the right moment, director Michael Verhoeven strips the action of sentimentality. He wants the viewer to appreciate the reality of what these characters did, not a glorified version of it.

In May 1942, Sophie Scholl (Lena Stolze) is a newly arrived university student in Munich. Her older brother Hans (Wulf Kessler), also a student, introduces her to his circle of friends, Christoph (Werner Stocker), Alex (Oliver Siebert), and Ulrich (Willi Graf). To all outward appearances, they are typical intelligent undergraduates, passionate about ideas, but always ready to have fun and able to change from seriousness to childlike frivolity in an instant. The guys are up to something else, too.

They type, print up, and surreptitiously distribute flyers critical of the Nazi party. At first their efforts are limited. They leave the single sheets on streetcars, in lecture halls, and tucked between the pages of public telephone books. As people begin to talk about their anonymous work, they become more ambitious and begin mailing their broadsides to specific individuals. Immediately, they face a new set of problems. That's also when Sophie discovers what they're up to and decides to join them.

To those who have grown up in a freer society, the situation that Verhoeven and writer Mario Krebs describe is almost beyond belief. In this police state, the government controls or attempts to control all forms of communication, beginning at the level of personal conversation. Sophie and Hans's father is turned in by a secretary for making unfavorable remarks about Hitler. Prof. Huber (Martin Benrath), a popular lecturer, must be careful about his references to the philosopher Spinoza, who was Jewish. Anyone who buys large amounts of postage stamps is suspect, and the same goes for paper. Even to carry the flyers on public transportation is dangerous. Officials can search baggage at any time for any reason.

Remarkably, though, as the months pass, they are not caught, and so are emboldened to make connections with other groups of dissenters and to more openly urge the army to take action against political leaders. They also argue over tactics. Should they simply urge others to action? Do they commit acts of violence themselves? Is it time to advocate cooperation with Communists and Bolsheviks? With a few changes in wording and circumstance, the arguments could take place in virtually any dormitory or student apartment during any war.

But few protesters risk as much as these kids do, and that adds a strong dimension of suspense to their simple strategies. The typical Hollywood concoction of bridges being blown up and other flamboyant acts of sabotage don't contain nearly as much tension as a deceptively simple scene revolving around the theft of a couple of reams of paper from a government office.

The lack of familiar names and faces in the cast adds even more to the film's unpredictability. Verhoeven's use of well-chosen locations, and his restraint with music give the action an unusual degree of realism, too. For those who aren't dissuaded by the idea of subtitled German dialogue, The White Rose is an unsettling and memorable sleeper.

Cast: Lena Stolze (Sophia Scholl), Wulf Kessler (Hans Scholl), Oliver Siebert (Alex Schmorell), Ulrich Tucker (Willi Graf), Werner Stocker (Christoph Probst), Martin Benrath (Prof. Huber), Anja Kruse (Traute Lafrenz), Ulf-Jurgen Wagner (Fritz), Mechthild Reinders (Gisela Schertling), Peter Kortenbach (Falk Harnack), Gerhard Friedrich (Herr Scholl), Sabine Kretzschmar (Frau Scholl), Heinz Keller (Werner Scholl), Suzanne Seuffert (Inge Scholl), Christina Schwartz (Elisabeth Scholl); Written by: Michael Verhoeven, Mario Krebs; Cinematography by: Axel de Roche; Music by: Konstantin Wecker. Producer: Arthur Brauner, TeleCulture Films. German. Running Time: 108 minutes. Format: VHS, Beta.