One of the favourite topics of German directors seem to be one related to one of the darkest periods in human history — the Third Reich.

Marc Rothemund's Oscar-nominated film is a taut police procedural that touches on the Nazi regime, albeit from the viewpoint of a strong-spirited young woman named Sophie Scholl, and her ill-fated attempt to condemn the regime together with her brother and a friend.

Based on the actual transcripts of the interrogation and trial of Sophie Scholl, her eventual fate is never in question, and although Rothemund's film pounds the pulpit a little too zealously, Julia Jentsch's portrayal of Scholl is nothing short of spectacular. She manages to convincingly depict both aspects of Sophie Scholl — the “public” face, where she stands up to her beliefs, and the “private” face, where she exposes her vulnerability and self-doubt when no one is watching.

It is a searing performance that deserves to be seen on the big screen.