"Long live freedom!"

It appears that I need to work harder towards my goals of writing more. I am sad by how I've let my blog fall by the wayside. It's not that I don't have anything to write about either; I have plenty of topics and experiences to record. Maybe I just need someone or something to help me focus on what to write about. New idea: I'll put up a poll and people (if anyone still checks this) can vote on what I should write about next.

I haven't watched many movies lately. I've been surprised by my lack of movie watching, but I can't say that I'm disappointed in it. I haven't been as efficient in my use of Netflix, and I'm hoping to remedy that, but I feel like I've put my lost movie-watching time to good use.

I did, however, watch a movie yesterday. It's called Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage (or Sophie Scholl - The Final Days for you non-Germans). I first found out about this fine German film when I was doing some online research about Helmuth Hubener, a young German Latter-day Saint who organized a few of his friends into an underground resistance group in Nazi Germany. Sophie Scholl was a member of the White Rose resistance group in Munich, comprised mainly of university students and a professor. They published six leaflets and practiced a pacifistic resistance, never resorting to violence. They painted anti-Hitler slogans on walls at night and sent out letters with their writings. Sophie and her brother Hans were caught by the Gestapo after leaving stacks of leaflets at the University of Munich. They were arrested, interrogated, tried, and executed.

This film shows their capture and follows Sophie's interrogation and trial. It is not a fast-paced film full of suspense or action-packed sequences; it is a very serious drama that faithfully reproduces Sophie's story using transcripts, eyewitness interviews, and other primary sources. I found the film very moving, and Julia Jentsch's performance as Sophie is incredible. It's an understated and subtle performance, yet incredibly emotive and powerful. Certain images from the film will remain with me for a very long time: Sophie whispering a prayer in her jail cell, her courage standing before the People's Court (also known as the Blood Tribunal), the wrenching farewell with her parents before her execution, her last words to her brother, etc. It really is a beautiful film, as well as an important one. This film, along with the Helmuth Hubener documentary Truth and Conviction, has really resonated with me. I respect and honor these individuals with the courage to oppose evil in the face of certain death. I don't know how courageous I would be in their situations, but I am certain, and their stories have reiterated this fact, that if we are not willing to risk our lives and possibly die for what is right and true, our convictions and beliefs are meaningless. I don't think it trivial or arbitrary that Sophie Scholl and Helmuth Hubener are honored and respected for their courage by German citizens. They earned it by doing what so many people were unwilling or afraid to do. They spoke up and said, "No more," to evil and stood firmly by their beliefs until the bitter, terribly premature ending of their lives.

I very seriously recommend these two films to everyone. I own Truth and Conviction and will gladly share it with others, and if you can find a copy of Sophie Scholl - The Final Days, don't squander the opportunity to watch it.