The true story of Germany’s most famous anti-Nazi heroine is brought to thrilling life in the multi-award-winning drama SOPHIE SCHOLL – THE FINAL DAYS. Academy Award® Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, SOPHIE SCHOLL stars Julia Jentsch (The Edukators) in a luminous performance as the young coed-turned-fearless activist. Armed with long-buried historical records of her incarceration, director Marc Rothemund expertly re-creates the last six days of Sophie Scholl’s life: a heart-stopping journey from arrest to interrogation, trial, and sentence. Newly remastered in 4K by X-Verleih, Berlin, Germany.

For thoughts on Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation newly remastered in 4K by X-Verleih in Germany, and it is a showstopper. The transfer retains the natural look of the source by allowing the natural film grain to remain untouched which allows for so much texture to the image. This is a film with a very limited scope due to the prevalence of interiors, but the frame captures the nuances of each room. While not traditionally awe-inspiring, this transfer feels as if you could reach out and touch the textures on display.

The skin tones look very detailed and consistent all around. The highlights are formidable when the light is shining during the interrogation along with the deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. Colors saturate the screen with the deep hues of costumes and elements of the production design. There are no instances of intrusive digital noise in the presentation. This presentation is very fetching from Zeitgeist Films.

Audio Quality

The film comes to Blu-Ray with an engaging DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original German with optional English subtitles. At most, the movie features some tussling with the police which stands out, but the dialogue-driven moments reign supreme. There is some decent environmental activity that comes through well to make the space feel alive. The score gives this film a sense of grandeur as it flows through with flawless fidelity. The low end of the track is not pushed to the limits, but it provides texture as necessary. The dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the score where nothing gets lost in the track. This track serves the movie well.

Special Features

Deleted & Alternate Scenes: There are 13 unused scenes provided in standard definition totaling 37 minutes. There are some interesting moments here, but the movie flows very well in its final cut so you understand why these were omitted.

Historical Interviews: A series of interviews are provided in which the subjects discuss their history as it relates to the story depicted in the film. To have these personal accounts provided is very emotional and a great addition to this release.

- Franz Müller (White Rose Member) and Walter Gebel (Nephew of Sophie Scholl’s Cellmate Else Gebel) (19:52)

- Willi Mohr (Son of Inspector Mohr) (7:22)

- Elisabeth Hartnagel (Sister of Sophie and Hans Scholl with Archival Trial Footage) (30:27)

Behind-The-Scenes – The Production: A seven-part production piece totaling 55 which takes you behind the scenes of the creation of various scenes with a combination of interviews and fly-on-the-wall footage.

Re-Release Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days is a very concentrated and effective look at the bravery of the titular character against evil. By focusing on the last few days of her life, you are thrown into her shoes and made to feel the terror and helplessness of her situation. The lead performance from Julia Jentsch is incredible, and she commands every interrogation scene even when she is not in a position of authority. This is a heartbreaker, but it is a necessary one. Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber have released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a pretty impressive assortment of special features. If you are interested in heartwrenching WWII narratives, give this one a chance. Recommended

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.