25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
True history can be far more interesting than fiction, July 15, 2000
This review is from: The White Rose [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Though a bit of a Germanophile, I did not see this movie until early 2000. Now, having seen it, I am somewhat of a White Rose fanatic who, like the other reviewer, enjoys visiting locations in Germany where important Resistance events took place.
There were many resistors in Germany, the most famous being the army officers who actually attempted to take Hitler's life. But the youthful appeal and unusual courage of the Scholl siblings and their friends makes Die Weisse Rose a particularly captivating and memorable group.
The film perfectly captures that youthful quality. And it appears (to this layperson) to be quite accurate, judging from the accounts I have read in books on the Resistance. I cannot tell a lie: you will walk away from this movie feeling devastated. But you will also feel glad that such Germans existed at the time, and you will feel like you have just come to know of a group of people who deserve to be among your most favorite historical figures.
I strongly recommend braving this film and putting up with the natural regret and sadness that you will feel. Too often I hear people complain that they don't like historical movies, that they are boring. Yet many of these same people have no trouble seeing formulaic action flicks, and they enjoy soaking up the fictional tragedies that we see on television and in the cinema. There is nothing boring about a true story that has heroes who are as likable and as extraordinary as any fictional dramatic character. And these heroes find themselves in just as much suspenseful danger as the characters in the best thrillers. But for once you'll be able to walk away with your shattered nerves and realize, "Wow, that was real." And you'll ask yourself, "What would I have done?"
See the movie! Then visit Munich and the many sites where dedications to this group appear.
Finally, buy this movie before you can't do so anymore. It is astonishingly difficult to find any material on Die Weisse Rose that has any kind of English translation. There are a handful of books that are out of print, and only one or two other titles still readily available. This VHS is expensive yet worthwhile. From a historical, educational AND dramatic viewpoint, you could not spend your money any better.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most important film I have ever seen!, October 19, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The White Rose [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I began to study The White Rose about 3 years ago and have since watched this film over a dozen times. After visiting the actual locations in and around Munich, Germany, I am still amazed at the detail which went into this film. Actual locations were used (the university atrium where the Scholls were captured) and survivors were interviewed. One survivor personally told me he believed this film to be a reasonably accurate telling of the story. As an outsider, I say it's brilliant.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let Us Remember, February 23, 2002
This review is from: The White Rose [VHS] (VHS Tape)
What can I say? I have viewed this film hundreds of times. And each time the ending brings a rush of pride to my soul and a tear to my heart. This accurate tale of Sophie Scholl and her cohorts is a celebration of the human spirit. It is a 1940's "Testament of Youth." The director and writer should be proud. For those who know little of German resistance, this is the place to start. I have been to their graves. They are interred in Alte Perlach Cemetary in Munich, Germany. Not Perlach Cemetary. Go to Alte Perlach.
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