‘Truth & Treason’

“Truth & Treason” is a film about a young boy who had the strength to speak truth to power in Nazi Germany. It is, as they say, based on a true story, so it’s not 100 percent accurate. But it’s close enough to be both inspirational and timely.

Helmuth Hübener (Eqan Horrocks) is a bright 17-year-old. He and his friends, Karl-Heinz Schnibbe (Ferdinand McKay), Rudi Wobbe (Daf Thomas), and Solomon Schwarz (Nye Occomore) are free spirits, but they are not rebels.

In fact, Helmuth’s stepfather is a true believer in the Third Reich, and his older brother is in the German Army. Helmuth, however, starts to doubt what those around him believe when the bishop at their Mormon church posts a No Jews Allowed sign on the door.

The notice was directed at his friend Solomon, the church organist, who was raised as a Latter Day Saint and considered himself a member of the church. And as he tells his friends, “I’m German. As much as you are.” But because his mother was half Jewish, he is banned, beaten, and eventually taken away to the camps, where, we learn later, he dies.

Helmuth’s rebellion begins simply enough. There is a shortwave radio hidden in his room, a spoil of war, brought home from the front by his brother. But now emboldened, he begins to listen to the BBC and discovers alternative truths.

This inspires him to deliver a passionate sermon at church, about Jesus, a truth teller, and how it was up to the congregation to emulate their savior.

Eventually, Helmuth goes all in and starts to distribute seditious leaflets, reporting things he gleaned listening to the BBC. He’d stay up all night typing and then run around Hamburg depositing them in mailboxes and under car windshield wipers.

The SS concentrated its investigative efforts — with little success — on finding the typewriter being used to print the leaflets. The machine had a damaged key. Find it — and they’d find the traitor. Meanwhile, Helmuth recruited his two buddies, and they seemed to get away with it, until…

Helmuth invites a co-worker to the opera via a typewritten note. The filmmakers understandably did not feel it necessary to flash on the screen: ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! MAJOR PLOT POINT! They realized we could all figure it out. Sadly.

Yes, that typewritten note (in the movie, not the real world) led to Helmuth’s capture. He eventually is forced to give up the names of his partners and the three of them are tried. Helmuth’s co-conspirators were given prison sentences, but he was sentenced to death. By beheading. By guillotine. At age 17.

At his sentencing, Helmuth said: “I have committed no crime. So now it is my turn, but your turn will come. The judges will be judged and the truth will prevail.”

That the truth doesn’t always prevail is what makes this film special. Despite several distractions along the way, Helmuth is so innocent and pure, it’s hard not to get onboard and root for him.

Though certainly it’s accidental, the film’s timing is perfect. During the end credits, a quote from Alexi Navalny appears: “Sometimes the greatest act of rebellion is to simply speak the truth.”

That’s the question the film asks. In these times, who is brave enough to be rebellious?

“Truth & Treason” opens on October 17 at theaters throughout New Jersey, including Paramus, Ridgefield Park, Clifton, New Brunswick, South Plainfield, Mountainside and others, plus the Palisades Center.