A Stormy Glance at the 60’s Revolution – “If Not Us, Who?”

Alright, folks, let’s have a chat about “Motståndets tid” otherwise known as “If Not Us, Who?”—dödens title complexity! Directed by Andres Veiel, this German flick swayed me with its brooding exploration of political activism and personal drama, like a Swedish fika with a strong brew and an extra cinnamon bun on the side.

The story digs into the radical movements of 1960s Germany, focusing on the chillingly enigmatic Bernward Vesper and his partner Gudrun Ensslin. August Diehl, who previously snuck up on us in “Inglourious Basterds,” steps into Vesper’s complex shoes with a brooding charm that’s hard to shake off. And Gudrun’s character, brought to life by Lena Lauzemis, feels like the wild echoes of an ABBA tune mixed with a dark, introspective Swedish ballad. She’s fierce, relentless, and, at times, a real enigma.

But I gotta admit, sometimes the pacing drags, like waiting for a Stockholm bus on a snowy January night—it tests your patience. Yet, it held me because it felt raw and familiar in that European way we Swedes just get, like herring on midsummer. Veiel manages to capture the era’s tension with an authenticity that’s almost tactile. You can almost feel the dusty streets and smell the rebellion in the air—antikt och charmigt, as we might say.

This film made me think back to my rebellious teen phase, when punk music blared from my room, and politics was as much about fashion as it was about change. There’s something in “If Not Us, Who?” that speaks to that youthful yearning, the chaotic attempt to mold the world to fit one’s ideals.

So grab your popcorn, or maybe even some knäckebröd, and dive in. Just be prepared for a story that’s as layered and unpredictable as a Stockholm sky!

Check the trailer below