THE BOOK THIEF
US/Germany, 2013, 131 minutes, Colour.
Geoffrey Rush, Emma Watson, Sophie Nelisse, Nico Liersch,
Directed by Brian Percival.
The novel, The Book Thief, by Sydney author, Marcus drew sack, has become an international best-seller. Now comes the screen adaptation, and interpretation of stories of German citizens at the outbreak of World War II and during the war. The author has explained that he heard these stories while he was growing up from members of his own family.
For decades, audiences have tended to look at films about this period from the point of view of the Holocaust, the persecution of the Jews, their round-up, the sufferings in the concentration camps, the grim aftermath. While these issues are present in this film, they are not always to the forefront. Rather, this is the story of a young German girl whose parents belong to the Communist Party and who has had to flee with her mother and younger brother from Nazi persecution. On the train, her little brother dies and they have to stop for his burial. Afterwards, the mother cannot support her daughter and the girl, Liesel (Sophie Nelisse) is driven away to Stuttgart to a foster family.
The episodes from 1938 to 1945 are seen through her eyes.
The film is fortunate to have Geoffrey Rush portraying the foster father, Hans, a genial man who is kind to Liesel, helping her with her reading, even to putting a dictionary of new words on the basement wall. The mother, Rosa, is played impressively by Emily Watson, a very stern woman, continually commenting on her husband’s behaviour, critical of the girl, a tough German exterior but something of her heart as revealed by the end of the film.
Ordinary life seems very ordinary in the town, Liesel going to school, though humiliated and bullied about her lack of ability to read. The young boy next door, Rudi, becomes her best friend over the years. We see them in Nazi uniforms at school, singing patriotic songs – though both Liesel and Rudi, considering their experiences, take a hearty dislike to Hitler. Rudi is a strong runner and has great admiration for Jesse Owens, even putting black polish on his face to imitate his idol.
We see a glimpse of Kristallnacht and the smashing of the shop windows and the taking away of the Jews. In fact, the family shelters a young Jewish man whose father had saved Hans’s life in World War I. They undergo great hardships as the young man is sheltered for several years, but there are some light moments, especially when snow comes and they build a snowman in the basement and have a snow fight.
With the title of the book, we appreciate that books are important for Liesel, a book she picked up at the graveside of her brother, collecting a burnt book after a fanatic book-burning in the city square, befriending the wife of the mayor, who still grieves her son’s death in World War I, and gives Liesel access to the many books in the in their library. There is a delight in reading, delight in words, Liesel describing the weather to Max who is sheltering – and his gift of a book for her to write in.
Despite the sufferings, the people in the city carry on as best they can, with their deprivations, ultimately having to take shelter during the bombardments – where Liesel is able to create a story which draws the attention of the frightened people. These ordinary people are comparatively isolated from the war, though Hans is conscripted, and do not have access to the information about what is going on in the wider Germany.
The film is narrated by Death, humanised as his voice-over (by Roger Allam) describes his attitude towards people, their souls, their experience of death, taking them to the next world. This is especially important at the end of the film and the issue of survivors of the Allied bombardments.
The film has a pervasive sense of humanity, even in the experience of suffering. Death finally says he is ‘haunted by humans’.
1. The popularity of the original novel? The adaptation? The author, recounting family stories?
2. Germany, 1938-1945? Ordinary Germans, the perspectives on Jews and Communists, on the Holocaust? From the young girl’s perspective? The Germans not knowing what was happening, knowing, the isolation of the community, lack of communications? Kristallnacht? The roundup of the Jews? The Communist? Individuals defending the Jews, hiding them? Conscription for ordinary Germans, older men?
3. The title, Liesel, the books that she took, a love of reading, words, vocabulary? Taking the book from the grave site, from the burning of the books, the books in the library, the gift from Max, the book in the river and its being rescued by Rudi?
4. Death, the voice-over, the tone of the comment, the clouds, the personal touch, death as an individual, taking of the little boy in the train, hovering over Germany, the bombings and the description of the deaths of the families? Rudi? Not taking Liesel? telling the modern story about Liesel’s life? Death saying he was haunted by humans?
5. On the train, the little boy, Liesel, the mother, Communist background, fleeing? The death of the boy, the sadness of the burial? The gravedigger’s book and Liesel taking it? In the car travelling to the family?
6. The arrival, Stuttgart, Hans and his pleasantness, Rosa and her harshness, rebukes? Liesel’s room, keeping silent, not liking the soup? Singing in her room, Hans playing the accordion? Hans and Rosa as her parents? Her prospects?
7. Rudi, living next door, nice, arriving to take her to school, talking, in class, Liesel and the fight with Frank, the teacher, wanting her to write her name, putting Xs on the board, racing with Rudi, a draw, the issue of the kiss?
8. Hans, love the Liesel, helping her to read, in the basement, the dictionary and words on the wall?
9. The experience of Kristallnacht, the visualising of the smashing of the shops, Jewish fears? Hans and here’s altering the Jewish signs and the painted names?
10. The children, their Nazi uniforms, acquire, singing the patriotic songs, Heil Hitler? The outbreak of war, the excitement, the two years of war?
11. Liesel, growing up, ordinary life, friendship with the Steiner’s next-door, with Rudi as best friend?
12. Steiner, his being conscripted, the effect on the family?
13. The book burning, Liesel and her watching, taking the book, the Mayor’s wife watching, taking the laundry to the house, the wife knowing Liesel liked books, taking her to the library, reading, the story of her son killed in World War I, the stern attitude of her husband and stopping the laundry?
14. Max, his mother, the German soldier kindly warning him, is leaving home, is arriving at the house, sick, in bed, the soup and his vomiting, Liesel and her friendship, the secrecy about him being there? Reading the books to him?
15. Shortage of food, sharing it with Max, concealing him, hunger? Rosa and her growing kindness? Moving Max to the basement? Liesel, stealing the book from the library, Rudi watching her, knowing that the family was concealing Max, Frank passing by, the fight, the book going into the river, Rudi rescuing it, Liesel afraid that he had died?
16. Max, illness, the snowman in the basement, the snow fight, Rosa joining in, Max and his temperature, fever, getting better? His asking Liesel to describe the day and her images of the weather, the sun, the silver oyster? Rosa going to the school, seeming to reprimand Liesel, telling her the good news of Max’s recovery?
17. Rudi, Jesse Owens, painting himself black, running, his defeating Frank, Frank tripping him? The military watching him and offering him a scholarship for special training?
18. Hans, the search in the basement, hiding Max, Rosa and Liesel handling the situation? The jokes about Rosa and her scolding Hans? Hans and his being conscripted, in action, wounded, his return?
19. The bonds between the members of the family? Death telling the story of Liesel living into the 21st century?
20. A German war story, the background of the Holocaust, persecution of the Jews, the role of ordinary Germans, the role of the Nazis and the party, the experience of World War II in German city?
