NEW YORK—Director Margarethe von Trotta’s trademark is portraying complex German/Jewish women, ranging from “Rosa Luxemburg” (1986), her biopic about the early 20th century Jewish revolutionary to “Vision” (2009), about 12th century German Benedictine nun and composer Hildegard of Bingen. Both films starred von Trotta’s go-to actress, Barbara Sukowa.
But with Hannah Arendt, von Trotta faced a challenge that would send most filmmakers running for a simple love story or tale of triumph. Arendt was a famous German-Jewish intellectual and philosopher in modern times. How does a director visually depict the inner life of a woman known mainly for her ideas? In other words, how does one make a movie in which thinking is the driving action? Full story for BostonGlobe.com subscribers.
