Recommended
I'm really starting to value the Santikos Bijou more and more as one of the
few bright spots in this town. The only downside (aside from a rather pricey
menu) is the sad experience of seeing some really fine movies way under viewed.
That was the experience I had last year when I went to see "Downfall", which dealt with the last days of Hitler and the collapse of the Nazi Germany. I think there were maybe between 5-10 people in the theater. Same with "The Motorcycle Diaries" which portrayed Che Guevara's trek across South America
during his student years. These, and others had the common denominator of being
exceptionally well made films which (it seemed to me, had the potential of
actually enriching the internal lives of the audience. Last night, I went with
a friend to see "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days". This film deals with the last
6 or so days of one of the principal members of a student resistance group in
Munich, Germany during the middle of the Second World War. Their activities
consisted of making and distributing anti-Nazi leaflets; a capitol offense under the Nazi regime. The leaders of the group were eventually apprehended,
"tried" and murdered by their government. The movie details the capture, interrogation, trial, and execution of one of it's members. I have to say, that
without a lot of suspense, melodrama, or action (the closest action sequence involves a night air-raid in the middle of a conversation between Sophie and her cell-mate), this was one of the most powerful and affecting films I had seen in a long time. I had become aware of the films subject matter during
my last tour in the Army whilst I was stationed near Nuremberg. This was during the year the wall came down. I since read whatever I could find about
"The White Rose" group and it's two most famous members Hans and Sophie Scholl.
The two have been more or less accorded the status of secular martyrs by the German people. Aside from the riveting performance of Julia Jentsch as Sophie Scholl, what most struck me about the film was how well it succeeded in portraying the terrifying experience of an individual going up against the
Nazi apparatus and the almost unearthly amount of courage it must have taken.
Speaking as someone who's about given up on the social value of many of the films being produced today as was amazed at how in many ways the film succeeded
beyond much of what I've read on the subject in telling the story of the title character.
And for a change, last nights screening played to a nearly full house! The film is scheduled to run till at least this coming Friday, longer depending on audience turn-out. If you have the time and funds to see it, by all means check it out. Otherwise, it's your' loss. As to the films relevance for today, let me say this: this is one movie that Ann Coulter should be bound to a seat, gagged and forced to watch. And nothing from the menu for her, either!
few bright spots in this town. The only downside (aside from a rather pricey
menu) is the sad experience of seeing some really fine movies way under viewed.
That was the experience I had last year when I went to see "Downfall", which dealt with the last days of Hitler and the collapse of the Nazi Germany. I think there were maybe between 5-10 people in the theater. Same with "The Motorcycle Diaries" which portrayed Che Guevara's trek across South America
during his student years. These, and others had the common denominator of being
exceptionally well made films which (it seemed to me, had the potential of
actually enriching the internal lives of the audience. Last night, I went with
a friend to see "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days". This film deals with the last
6 or so days of one of the principal members of a student resistance group in
Munich, Germany during the middle of the Second World War. Their activities
consisted of making and distributing anti-Nazi leaflets; a capitol offense under the Nazi regime. The leaders of the group were eventually apprehended,
"tried" and murdered by their government. The movie details the capture, interrogation, trial, and execution of one of it's members. I have to say, that
without a lot of suspense, melodrama, or action (the closest action sequence involves a night air-raid in the middle of a conversation between Sophie and her cell-mate), this was one of the most powerful and affecting films I had seen in a long time. I had become aware of the films subject matter during
my last tour in the Army whilst I was stationed near Nuremberg. This was during the year the wall came down. I since read whatever I could find about
"The White Rose" group and it's two most famous members Hans and Sophie Scholl.
The two have been more or less accorded the status of secular martyrs by the German people. Aside from the riveting performance of Julia Jentsch as Sophie Scholl, what most struck me about the film was how well it succeeded in portraying the terrifying experience of an individual going up against the
Nazi apparatus and the almost unearthly amount of courage it must have taken.
Speaking as someone who's about given up on the social value of many of the films being produced today as was amazed at how in many ways the film succeeded
beyond much of what I've read on the subject in telling the story of the title character.
And for a change, last nights screening played to a nearly full house! The film is scheduled to run till at least this coming Friday, longer depending on audience turn-out. If you have the time and funds to see it, by all means check it out. Otherwise, it's your' loss. As to the films relevance for today, let me say this: this is one movie that Ann Coulter should be bound to a seat, gagged and forced to watch. And nothing from the menu for her, either!