Film review: The Book Thief

By thecallonlineglasgowMarch 3, 2014

[Pictures courtesy of Glasgow Film Festival]

Brian Percival’s new film The Book Thief, eerily captures the mood of Nazi Germany.

With Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush and Academy Award nominee Emily Watson in starring roles, it was always going to be a great adaptation of the popular book.

Following the life of 12 year-old Liesel Meminger, who has moved in with adoptive parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann (Rush and Watson) during the horrors of the Second World War. At the start of the film it is made clear that Liesel cannot read or write, but Hans teaches her basic literacy and she is soon reading all the books she can. One of the most poignant moments in the film was when Liesel takes a book from a smouldering pile that Nazi soldiers recently set alight.

Young actress, Sophie Nélisse, who plays Liesel does a superb job portraying the innocence of a childhood lost. Liesel’s best friend Rudy manages to lure her out of her shell and she begins to enjoy her time with the Hubermanns.

You can see the fear that all the characters have for the Nazis when they come into the small village. Though this does not stop Hans offering his basement as refuge for a Jewish boy named Max. A firm friendship is formed between Liesel and Max that lasts for the rest of their lives.

Emily Watson stands out in her role as Rosa or “mama” as Liesel calls her. Coming across initially as stern and unloving, she evolves into a more likable character by the midway point of the film. In a letter to her birth mother, Liesel describes Rosa “like a thunderstorm, always rumbling.”

The film ends after Allied bombers destroy the villiage where Liesel lives. One of the intriguing aspects to the film is the
narration by Death. In the first lines of the film the narrator says, “One small fact: you are going to die. Despite every effort, no one lives forever.” The prior knowledge of the film means that the viewer already knows that it’s set during war. After the opening sentences from death, it can be assumed that it will not be a good outcome for those in the film. It also talks about taking many souls and leaving Liesel to live on after the war. This type of narration makes the film stand out as being different from other war films as it’s not immediately recognisable that Death is speaking.

The Book Thief is a must see for cinema goers and history buffs alike. A beautiful story set during the harshness of war, it makes you feel as if you were there as it all took place, not just viewing from a cinema seat.

8/10

By Kirsty Fyfe