The Book Thief

I found a post buried within the notes of my Iphone, so almost three years later, here it is! (I hope I'm a bit better at writing now)

I'd almost go as far as saying that this was among my best films of the year so far. Twelve years a slave was certainly up there and Book Thief makes it too.

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The film has the kind of soundtrack you would want to buy and listen to all day long. It was emotive and reflective and set the tone well. That, combined with the beatified innocence of Liesel and Rudy with their bright eyes and flawless skin made it so you could not look away. You could see into their souls through their eyes and were drawn into wishing some good luck would come their way. Director Brian Percival couldn't have cast more beautiful children. 

The Book Thief follows Liesel as her communist mother gives her up to a German family, to keep her safe and to ultimately give her a good life. This rapidly follows the death of her younger brother which begins a trend of loss that Liesel becomes quite accustomed to. On her arrival to the area, schoolboy Rudy takes a liking to her and she to him, and they quickly become good friends. 

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It isn't long however, before someone arrives to stand in the way of that - a Jew. Liesel's new papa takes him in, indebted to Max's father and the dangerous secrets begin. There really are beautiful moments within the plot. For example, as Max cannot go outside for fear of being discovered by the Germans, Liesel describes the days to him as she learns new words from her books. One day it snows, and she brings in buckets full for him to feel. Her Papa soon joins in the fun shortly followed by our stern tempered, hard faced mama. It is a wonder to behold. A warmth amidst a film that is ultimately quite soul destroying. 

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Then follows air raids, conscription, death and illness. The only light Liesel has in her life is her friend Rudy, whom she distances herself from in order to keep her secret, and her books. The books that she reads at the Mayor's house when she delivers his wife's ironing are another escape for her, at a time when books are threatened by the Nazi regime. The relationship that unfolds between these two women is charming. The mayor's wife, Ilsa Hermann explains that she lost her own child when he was young and Liesel somehow aids her mourning, through the love she finds for life in her books and in sharing them. 

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When the commandant finds out he forbids it to carry on and so, Liesel's salvation lies in tatters, or does it. The title of the film lends itself to the solution and Liesel begins to steal books when Max falls ill from the cold of the snow she's brought in. It seems that happiness throughout is almost immediately destroyed by devastation. Nevertheless she is convinced that reading to him will keep him alive. But stealing books from the commandant has it's risks, luckily it was only Rudy, equally as innocent, that discovers her secret. We see some real devotion among children that truly reminded me of why I sometimes have belief in humanity. As he takes a beating and jumps into the river to retrieve a book, Rudy shows just how powerful a childhood friendship can be - although perhaps he wants a little more than friendship.

The set, the costume, the casting, the music - all brilliant. The script, also brilliant. It can at times appear sentimental but that is not a flaw by any means, it simply means that by the end, we are left more devastated.

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I have to applaud the ability of our two young leads in particular. They lit up the screen, and their friendship was completely believable. I can imagine them both running around set together in between takes. It's the kind of thing I remember adoring between father and children in Chitty Chitty bang bang. It's quite hard to have such onscreen integrity but with a heavy script that offered a very astute and adult voice to the young - they aced it. There was similar relationship between Liesel and Hans Hubermann, her new 'papa'. He is softer than his wife and they share moments of light-hearted jest at her expense, bring them closer together in a time of great unhappiness.

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All in all, on leaving the cinema I felt holistic content. As much as the plot destroyed all of the characters we so wanted to live happily ever after, the fact that it didn't give in to that, and instead stayed true to the book and provenance of the era, made it all the more special. It was nice to see a story more focussed on the relationships of the characters than on the events going on around them - as is so often portrayed in modern film. After all, in war, it is these relationships that decide our fate, more often than not. We will Liesel to go on learning, to go on reading and ultimately ensure that the fascist society she hates, educates itself against prejudice and war. When that final moment comes and Max walks in to greet her, we breathe a sigh of relief, that Liesel might finally have found someone that refuses to die, as everyone she has loved falls short of survival. Her passion for finding happiness and hope in everything is something we all wish we had more often.

I'm so glad I saw 'The Book Thief'. It makes a nice change from thrillers and superhero action films. If you want a film to help you reevaluate your life, or send sparks to your spirit then definitely make the effort! Some child actors with a very, very bright future ahead I think. It'll also be a nice one to cuddle up on the sofa and get a bit teary when it comes out on DVD!