The Hilde in question in this biopic, is Hilde Coppi, played by Liv Lisa Fries, a member of the German resistance against the Nazi regime. In 1942, whilst heavily pregnant, Hilde is detained in Berlin by the Gestapo, accused of transcribing coded transmissions from Moscow as part of the Red Orchestra activist group. As Hilde awaits her fate, she looks back at her joyful romance with her husband Hans and the discovery of the activism movement.
A lot of Andreas Dresen’s drama, written by Laila Stieler, is very affecting. The scenes of Hilde’s incarceration and sham trial are compelling and the growing bond with her initially hostile guard is both surprising and touching. The flashbacks to her life with Hans are needed, but work less well. The actions of the couple were undoubtedly brave, as they directly lead to their deaths, but in dramatic terms, they were quite minor. The sending of radio messages to Moscow, only one of which got through, and that said “hello”, and putting up a few posters do not make for edge of your seat viewing like the best espionage movies can.
Looking at the real story of Hilde, I think the film makers did not successfully convey the risks, and more importantly the importance of what she did, instead concentrating on her relationship. They also failed to show the wider actions of the Red Orchestra group.
What holds both parts of the story together though, is the performance of Fries. She captures a stillness in her character with flashes of resilience and vulnerability.
Not a classic of the genre but a solidly made film.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10