THE BOOK THIEF   3.0***

 

 

         You of course have seen movies that have narration but I bet you haven't seen one like this. In this movie, the narrator is Death, i.e. the “Grim Reaper”, which though strange nonetheless works.

“The Book Thief” is from a popular “youth book” and  is about a young girl  whose brother dies and her mother abandons her - all at the age of 11. She's adopted by an older couple in Germany just as Hitler and The Nazi movement are in full control. Her foster father teaches her how to read which lights a fire inside of her to read and read and read. Again, since this is Nazi Germany, books are very hard to find. The only way she can get  books is to "borrow" them from a rich family who hired the mother to do their laundry.  Also, her family agrees to hide a young Jewish man in their basement which puts the young girl's family at great risk. But, the young girl and the young man become very good friends, helping each other through hard times. During this time, there are many people dying so Death is very nearby and has a lot to say.  

 The film is hauntingly beautiful, and moves at an effortless pace…. not too fast, not too slow- allowing the viewers to become immersed in the realities of Liesel's situation. Lovely Sophie Nelisse is stunningly perfect in the role of Liesel, capturing both the bright-eyed innocence and the eventual world-weary quality needed for the role.. Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson, of course, are their usual extraordinary selves as Liesel's adoptive parents.

This is truly a movie for all ages not just for young people. It operates on many levels, as a commentary on the disastrous effects of World War II and as a poignant tale of one small soul fighting for her own sense of humanity.  It is a touching film that will leave viewers young and old just a bit speechless.

Clark