A Thief In The Night

The Book Thief

I have been very interested in the World War II era. The stories that come from this period have been very intriguing, especially when it comes to the human spirit. Understandably, the people of Germany have been painted in a very negative light, yet there have also been some stories about the people who disagreed with the events going on around them. The Book Thief illustrates this point beautifully.

The story centers on Liesel Meminger, a young girl that has been adopted in April of 1938 by Hans and Rosa Hubermann. We learn that Liesel is unable to read or write when she is asked to spell her name by her new schoolteacher. Nevertheless, when Hans discovers a book that Liesel is hiding, he decides to help her learn and at that moment, Liesel grows a fascination with words. Her passion grows when she befriends the young Jewish man that her foster parents are hiding in the basement.  In the midst of the Nazi “cleansing”, Liesel finds a way to “borrow” books and expand her newfound talent.

First, I would like to say that I was very impressed with Sophie Nélisse, the young girl with the important job of bringing Liesel to life. This young woman is a Canadian-French actress, who pulls off this amazing German accent. I really thought that she was German. I was also impressed with her progression during the film. The transition from shy and reserved and then to confident and hopeful was very well done. Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean, The King’s Speech) and Emily Watson (Gosford Park, Red Dragon) were equally great. Rush is the light-hearted Hans and he fills the screen with love in every scene he is in. He permeates with kindness toward Liesel and everyone he meets. Hans’ wife Rosa is played by Watson. She starts with this hard exterior and you watch very seamlessly as the coldness melts away. By the end of the film, you love her and wonder why you did not like her in the first place.

The film is directed by Brian Percival, a very little known British director. For those of you that follow Downton Abby might now his work as the director of a few of those episodes. However, beyond that there is not much else I can tell you about Percival. With that being said, Percival did a wonderful job. With the little experience this director has, this was a big project to tackle and he made it look like he has been making films forever.

Now this film was based on a book and a highly praised book at that. So that is why I kept thinking throughout the film that there was something missing. I enjoyed the film, but I just had a feeling that something was not being “said”. This is my biggest problem with books translating to film. Those little relationships or scenes from the book that some screenwriters do not think that are important, may speak volumes to what the book is really about. I have not read this book, so I cannot say what it was, but the only example I have is The Hunger Games. The relationship the Katniss builds with Rue in the book is very important and one of many things I thought that was missing from the film.

The Book Thief is a heartwarming film that shows that some things are worth fighting for. Even if what you are fighting for are just words on a page.

The Verdict: Watch on Blu-Ray