The Book Thief

The Book Thief – In Nazi Germany, young Liesel Meminger is taken in by the kindly Hans and his stern wife, Rosa. Not fully understanding why her mother left her, she develops an obsession with reading and is thrown into life in the small town she now calls home. As the persecutions get much worse, a young Jewish man arrives on Hans and Rosa’s doorstep and they hide him in their basement. Liesel and the young man strike up a friendship but with houses being checked, his presence puts everyone’s lives in danger…

The Book Thief (2013) – Director: Brian Percival

By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40761895

Rating: 12

Running Length: 131 mins

Starring: Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson

Genre: Period, Drama

REVIEW: ‘THE BOOK THIEF’

Based on the novel of the same name by Markus Zusak, ‘The Book Thief’ follows young girl, Liesel, as she traverses the world of Nazi Germany while coming to terms with her new life and family. Much of the first act of the movie is ordinary, with Liesel developing her friendship with Rudy, learning to read with her kindly new father, Hans, not knowing how to please her stern (and borderline abusive) new mother, Rosa, and dealing with school bullies. However, the atmosphere around her begins to subtly become more sinister as time progresses and her troubles pale into insignificance as she starts to see the dangers of the adult world.

It is a shame that the voice of Death as the story’s narrator (the calm and dulcet tones of Roger Allam) is not more prevalent in the movie, appearing only a handful of times throughout and becoming almost forgettable as a ‘character’. The performances of all concerned are second to none, especially young star Sophie Nélisse as Liesel and always reliable Geoffrey Rush as her father, Hans, who has unending faith in her. Despite a few poor decisions (talking openly in loud whispers about their hidden Jewish man at Liesel’s school after a two second check for eavesdroppers stands out particularly) and there being remarkably little book theft. The movie is very good and, seeing things through the eyes of a child, hammers home just how unnecessary and confusing the acts of the Nazi’s were.

‘The Book Thief’ may have somewhat of a slow start which could be off-putting for those wanting more drama but it is a great insight into the lives of ordinary citizens and the message of being ‘good’ may lead to extreme measures having to be taken to stand by your morals and survive in the process.

CONTENT: IS ‘THE BOOK THIEF’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

A young boy of around 6 years old dies at the beginning of the movie, nothing graphic is seen and a simple burial takes place by some railway tracks. The boy’s mother is quiet but says ‘Goodbye, my darling’ and some subdued crying can be heard.

The boy’s sister, Liesel, is taken to his new parents; as she waits in the car, she hears her new mother complaining about the boy dying as she wanted the allowance that 2 children would have given them.

Liesel attends a school which has large swastikas on flags on the outside of the building. The children, including Liesel are seen singing a rousing propaganda song which has anti-Semitic lyrics such as ‘We do not create a brother pact for Jews and non-Germanics’.

Liesel is seen in the school playground, surrounded by other children shouting a jeering at her. A boy approaches and taunts her, leading her to punch him repeatedly. A teacher comes along, spanks her behind and drags her away.

When Liesel starts her friendship with a boy called Rudy, he bets her a kiss that he can beat her in a race, She isn’t interested in any sort of romance and makes this clear to him which he accepts.

Kristallnacht (the night where Jewish businesses and places of worship were systematically attacked, leading to the full persecution of Jews by the Nazi’s) is shown with shops being destroyed and people being attacked and dragged about in the street. A mother and her son watch on from their home, she makes him leave her behind which he does reluctantly. Death as a narrator says that the boy would always feel guilt over this, especially as ‘he would live’, implying that his mother would not.

Being obsessed with racing and being the fastest, Rudy is shown running on a racetrack but he has blacked up his face in order to emulate his hero, Jesse Owens. His father reprimands him when he sees him but only because the Nazi’s could take Rudy away for admiring a black man.

Liesel is taken to the town square where are huge pile of books are placed in the centre. A Nazi officer says they will ‘free (ourselves) of intellectual dirt’. The books are then set alight.

When the Jewish man, Max, is taken in by Liesel’s parents, he is hidden away in the basement. Liesel becomes friends with Max and often visits him. Liesel’s father tells her that she can go down whenever she likes although her mother warns her ‘Make sure you knock first’. Implying that she may walk in on Max in a compromising position.

Liesel sees German officers going around houses and worries about her friend, Max. She deliberately falls and hurts herself so that she has an excuse to go home to warn her parents. A large bloody gash is show on her leg but it is not too bad and she does not suffer too much from it.

A man whose name is spelt in a Jewish way is taken away but he begs to be spared and seeks help from those who know him. No-one steps in apart from Hans whose name then gets taken and he is hit hard so that his head bleeds (although no blood is seen). Back at home, Hans is devastated to have become known by the authorities as a trouble maker, saying ‘I’ve ruined us!’

A bomb is dropped over Liesel’s town and several known characters are killed. Death narrates what happens in a beautifully poetic way, making these deaths seem calm and peaceful. A character is pulled out of the wreckage, dishevelled but unharmed. They see the bodies of loved ones laid out then find another who is still alive but they die shortly after being found and the surviving character sobs over their body. This whole scene is unexpected and very sad.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘THE BOOK THIEF’ FOR KIDS?

‘The Book Thief isn’t designed for excitement. It’s a slow-burner of a story that puts you in the centre of ordinary life in the midst of Nazi Germany, told through the eyes of a child. Due to the subject matter of persecution, oppression, the consequences of helping the vulnerable and the general atmosphere of Nazi Germany all told in a realistic, non-childlike way, we feel this movie is appropriate for kids aged 12 and over.

Violence: 2/5 (some bullying involving punches being thrown. Persecution of innocent people being beaten and dragged around)
Emotional Distress: 4/5
Fear Factor: 2/5 (a scene where Hans and Rosa’s basement is searched when Max is in there is quite tense)
Sexual Content: 0/5
Bad Language: 0/5
Dialogue: 2/5 (some Nazi propaganda, including in a children’s song. Death’s narration is sometimes a little upsetting)
Other notes: Deals with themes of oppression, persecution, Nazi Germany, the love of literature, family, helping others while risking your own life, friendship, obligation and the inevitability of death.

Words by Laura Record

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