By Amelia Morris
‘Truth & Treason’ recounts the true story of Helmuth Hubener, a 16-year-old boy living in Nazi Germany in 1942. Helmuth has an incredible gift for writing, is a devout Mormon and loyal German citizen.
The movie sets the stage for the audience, showcasing the World War II landscape of Hamburg, Germany. Inside Helmuth’s house, we see him getting ready for his first day at his new internship at city hall. He easily impresses his new bosses with his writing skills and loyalty to Hitler.
Helmuth’s inner conflict begins when he hears an illegal radio broadcast from the BBC. The broadcast tells the truth about the tyranny Germany had found themselves in. Helmuth’s reaction led him to spread his own ideas of freedom around Hamburg with red leaflets.
After Helmuth’s Jewish friend, Salomon, is barred from entering the church under Hitler’s laws, Helmuth decided to take a stand against tyranny. Ewan Horrocks, who played Helmuth, conveyed shock, shame and sadness without using words. The actor’s nonverbal communication in that scene was shouting at the audience.
Spreading the illegal leaflets was considered treason but he believed the truth mattered more than any consequence he would face. Eventually, Helmuth escalates the leaflet operation and involves his friends, Rudi and Karl-Heinz. Together, the trio can cover the city of Hamburg in one night.
The movie concentrates on Helmuth’s internal conflict between what his faith is telling him and what the government is pushing on him. The audience watches as his loyalty to Germany crumbles, choosing to work for a better future.
Helmuth’s resilient faith is seen in his unbothered attitude as the court judges him for highest treason against Hitler. When they threaten him with death, he is unconcerned. Helmuth knows his true judgement will come on judgement day from God, not from someone who thinks they are one. Helmuth’s faith was so powerful and inspiring. Even as a teenager, he saw the mistreatment of his friend and decided to take action.
The plot of this movie is so complex and difficult to sum up in a few paragraphs. Even the major points mentioned go far deeper than can be explained in an article. The movie does a great job of sequencing and walking the audience through the multilayered plot. “Truth & Treason” is one of the greatest period piece movies I have ever seen and I highly recommend it.
The only complaint I have about the movie is the pacing. At the beginning it was hard to follow the scenes and characters because everything was moving so fast. However, once the movie got on its feet, it could not stop running. The movie was full speed ahead until the very last second.
Movies with young casts face more challenges. Child actors are often inexperienced and can be awkward on camera. There are no big-ticket celebrities to pull in an audience for this movie, and the main characters are all played by teenagers. However, ‘Truth & Treason’ was able to cast young actors to play these challenging roles, and it worked perfectly. The actors had to convey every emotion, from sorrow to joy, and they did it well.
The story was compelling, faith-driven and intense. I am looking forward to rewatching it already. Even though this movie is a couple weeks old and is already leaving theaters, I highly recommend this film. “Truth & Treason” is a must see. Everyone needs to hear Helmuth’s story.
“Truth & Treason” is currently available in theaters and will be streaming soon on Angel Studio’s streaming service. “Truth & Treason” will be continued by a four-part limited series on Angel.
Amelia Morris is a freshman journalism major and writer for Cedars A&E. She loves reading, writing and being in nature with her dogs.
Images courtesy of Angel Studios, The New York Times and Review Nation.
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