Die weiße Rose (1982)

Director:

Michael Verhoeven

Writers:

Mario Krebs (writer)
Michael Verhoeven (writer)

Release Date:

24 September 1982 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

During the Second World War, a small group of students at Munich University begin to question the decesions and sanity of Germany's Nazi government...

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Resistance | Jewish | White Rose Plot | Anti Nazi

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Lena Stolze	...	Sophie Scholl
Wulf Kessler	...	Hans Scholl
Oliver Siebert	...	Alex Schmorell
Ulrich Tukur	...	Willi Graf
Werner Stocker	...	Christoph Probst
Martin Benrath	...	Prof. Kurt Huber
Anja Kruse	...	Traute Lafrenz
Ulf-Jürgen Wagner	...	Fritz
Mechthild Reinders	...	Gisela Schertling
Peter Kortenbach	...	Falk Harnack
Gerhard Friedrich	...	Herr Scholl
Sabine Kretzschmar	...	Frau Scholl
Heinz Keller	...	Werner Scholl
Susanne Seuffert	...	Inge Scholl
Christina Schwartz	...	Elisabeth Scholl

Also Known As:

The White Rose (International: English title)

Runtime:

Germany:123 min | USA:108 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 (f) (bw)

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Central Cinema Company Film (CCC)

Trivia:

The speech given by Reinhold Olszewski (Gauleiter Giesler) is word-for-word the same as the actual speech given by the Bavarian Gauleiter in 1943.

Quotes:

Gauleiter Giesler: I can certianly understand why some of you girls think that you always have to study. It's because you're not pretty enough to find an admirer!
[boos and hisses]
Gauleiter Giesler: But let me reassure you ladies! I can gladly assign you one of my aids, and I can gauruntee you a pleasurable experiance!
[crowd erupts in fury]

Movie Connections:

References Wunschkonzert (1940)

Resistance

What I like most about this film is its sobriety, dispassion and sophistication in tackling the topic. There's no idealisation of the resistance group. It is based on precisely researched historical facts which successfully moves over clichés and false glorifications. Director Michael Verhoeven makes clear, that Sophie and Hans Scholl were neither longing for death nor wanted to set a beacon by giving themselves in custody. As incredibly brave and encouraged they were, they wanted to live most of all. The film also prompts questions of resistance fighters in a terror regime: Is there a right to resist against the majority of people? Is violence justified? Is it allowed to carry on sabotage which threatens the population? Is it allowed to wish a defeat for the own country? Is it worth anything to risk one's own life?