In “The Legend of Rita,” Bibiana Beglau plays a brazen, outspoken German terrorist who doesn’t think twice about robbing a bank, pulling off a jailbreak or gunning down a cop.

In person, Beglau is sweet, soft-spoken and shy.

At a screening of “Legend” at the Museum of Modern Art, the 29-year-old actress accepted the audience’s warm applause with a smile – and very few words. She left the talking to the German film’s director, Volker Schlondorff.

The next day, Cine File had breakfast with Beglau at Bubby’s in TriBeCa, where she was a little more talkative about her portrayal of Rita Voigt, a fictional character based on notorious real-life German terrorists known collectively as the Baader-Meinhof gang (aka the Red Army Faction).

Though some members of the 1970s left-wing group are still alive, Beglau didn’t meet with them, either before or after making “Legend.”

“I wanted to find the characters by myself,” she explained.

She prepared for the role by reading books on the subject and watching documentaries about that period of German history, when the Cold War was hot and the nation was divided between East and West.

And what does she think of the radicals – were they idealists or cold-blooded killers?

“Being a terrorist is not very intelligent,” she told us. “They destroyed their own lives and other people’s lives. They wanted to change things, which was good. But the violence was not good.”

“Legend” is the screen debut for Beglau, who has done extensive stage work. In fact, she could spend only 24 hours in New York because she was in the middle of rehearsals for a play in Zurich.

She got the role of Rita after Schlondorff – who won an Oscar for his 1979 film “The Tin Drum” – saw her performing on stage in something called “Disco Pigs.”

Would she do another movie?

“Yes – if the director was interesting.”

Acting wasn’t Beglau’s first choice for a career.

“My dream was to be a sculptor, but I was not good enough. So I have to be an actor – and I’m very happy.

“But my parents didn’t approve. I was the black sheep of the family.”

And now, after success on stage and screen?

“They’re happy, and proud of me – I hope.”

“The Legend of Rita” begins a two-week run at Film Forum in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday.

V.A. Musetto is film editor of The Post.He can be e-mailed at vam@nypost.com