V is great, but for a truly moving and inspiring tale of resistance to the state, don’t miss Sophie Scholl-The Final Days the true story of the arrest, integration, show trial, and execution of Sophie Scholl, a leader of The White Rose. The White Rose was a group of students in 1940’s Germany who distributed anti-Nazi pamphlets. Sophie, and several of her colleagues, where executed for committing the ultimate crime against the state: telling the truth.

Particularly powerful is the final interrogation scene where Sophie refuses to compromise with the Nazis, even though she knows her refusal to “confess” her errors in opposing the state will result in her death. Christian libertarians will appreciate the portrayal of Sophie’s Christianity and the integrator’s atheism. Given the increasing tendency of the right to label all criticism of the war as “treason” it is interesting that one of the main charges brought against the White Rose pamphleteers was “demoralizing the troops,” as if the troops could not tell the war was not going as well as their leaders claimed until they heard about the White Rose pamphlets.

A brilliant portrayal of a hero who truly spoke truth to power.

Cross-posted at Free for all.