The Five Last Days

Stars: Lena Stoltze (The Nasty Girl), Irm Hermann (The Merchant of Four Seasons, Effi Briest). Interestingly, this 1982 Percy Adlon (Bagdad Cafe) film about a group of anti-Nazi German students who were executed in Munich in 1943 was the subject of a 1983 film by Michael Verhoeven entitled The White Rose. Even more interesting is the fact that Lena Stoltze played the protagonist Sophie Scholl in both movies. Unfortunately, The Five Last Days is the lesser of the two films. Well-intentioned as it is, this account of the capture of Scholl, her brother Hans, and other students, and their execution five days later is more of an homage to the unquestionably brave and noble students, instead of a compelling drama. Using only a small handful of sets, most of the film takes place in a cell where Sophie talks to a prisoner/office assistant named Else (Hermann). Biographical details, inspiring poetry, and sweeping commentary about the nature of humankind are shared between the two, until ultimately Sophie goes stoically to her death, following a good night's sleep. Stoltze (who, incidentally, bears a striking resemblance to Anne Frank) and Hermann are both excellent in their respective roles, but they are given such a small range of edifying material to work with. In the end, we feel we've been watching saints, not real people. Audience: Those interested in this particular story would do better with 1983's The White Rose.