Enjoyable

Rating: 8/10 (15 January 2014)

If you ever wanted to explain to a child what went on in Germany prior to and during World War 2 then The Book Thief is ideal.
Shown from the perspective of young Liesel after she is placed in a foster home we see a German people steadily influenced then overcome by the Nazi party. Children wearing the infamous brown shirts, singing nationalist anthems and attending book burnings remind us how that society was controlled by their political leaders. We all know what happened to communists and Jews during this period without the "Schindlers List" graphic detail yet the tension for those working against the barbarity and bigotry remains palpable.
The main story is simple and drawn around somewhat stereotypical characters but thanks to the talents of the brilliant Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson playing her step-parents they are more than one dimensional. Young Liesel and her friend Rudi carry the film on their young shoulders with the wide-eyed optimism you would expect of their age and pre-1940's era. The only serious criticism I could offer is of the narration which seemed totally unnecessary as the film told the story perfectly. I still remain baffled as to why the film-makers needed a voice-over to occasionally point out the bleeding obvious? Call it artistic license I suppose?
In 2014 as our media and political parties infect us with the belief that refugees or worshipers of different religions are our enemies I found The Book Thief to be a great antidote. Yearning for knowledge by not burning books and doing something when innocents are victimised is the cure to hatred, ignorance and intolerance.
If you can stand up for what's right in Nazi Germany you can do it today. This is the lesson of The Book Thief and I encourage you to share it.