The Book Thief is the brilliant film adaptation of Markus Zusak’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel detailing the life of a young girl in Germany during the rise and fall of Hitler’s reign. Given up by her mother for protective reasonings, Liesel Meminger (newcomer Sophie Nélisse) is moved across the country to her new mama and papa, Rosa (Emily Watson) and Hans Hubberman (Geoffrey Rush). After the death of her brother, and with the world falling prey to the actions of Nazi Germany, Liesel finds comfort only in novels, which she learns to read with the help of her papa, Hans. Liesel also finds friendship in the neighborhood trouble-stirrer, Rudy Steiner (Nico Liersch), whose only wish seems to be kissing Liesel or becoming Jesse Owens.
Eventually, the Nazi party becomes obsessed with suppressing the intelligence of the German peoples, ordering the burning of all books and encouraging war. Amongst the craziness, the Hubberman’s take in Max (Ben Schnetzer), the Jewish son of a man who saved Hans’ life in WWI. With the help of Max under the stairs, Liesel creates a magical world for herself and those around her through the use of her words.
The movie itself is near-flawlessly acted by the veteran actors, though the up-and-coming 13-year-old actors truly stole the show. Their innocence captured the raw emotions that young children feel when they are at a loss to understand the negativity of humanity. The snow-covered scenery which remains throughout the entirety of the film also adds to the feel of the movie. Even moviegoer Erica Keamy commented that, “everything is so beautiful!” Perhaps the only negative aspect of The Book Thief is its lack of sincerity in the depictions of the destructive qualities of WWII, though the film makes up for it through the depth of its sincerity.
Starring: Sophie Nélisse, Emily Watson, Geoffrey Rush, and Ben Schnetzer
Directed by: Brian Percival (Downton Abbey)
Rated: PG-13, for some violence and intense depiction of thematic material
Length: 131 minutes
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Caroline Minchella
Staff Writer, Intern
eCoronado
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