Confessions of an Errant Mind

Sarah and I watched the German movie Sophie Scholl: The Final Dayslast night. It's based on the true story of a small group of German college students who attempted to start an underground propaganda campaign against the Nazis during World War II. Unfortunately, they were captured fairly quickly and promptly executed.

This movie primarily focuses on Sophie Scholl. While references to her faith are somewhat rare, the entire film basically follows the format of a passion play. From other sources, it is clear that like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, faith was a prime motivator for her resistance. She's not a complete saint--her idealism comes across as a bit naive at times. But her courage is quite amazing, especially given her young age (21). There's one scene about halfway through where she and the chief investigator engage in a political discussion about the previous 20 years of German history. It's no car chase, but breathtaking nonetheless in its complexity and intelligence. One can almost see why someone could believe in the Nazis--until they get to the part about genocide.

In any case, if you're someone who can handle subtitles, it's definitely worth a view. It's a great movie about being a non-violent witness to truth in a difficult time. Also worthwhile to see a Christian character who is neither blantantly hypocritical or oversentimentalized.