A very real picture of life in Nazi Germany

Rating: 10/10 (2 May 2014)

The Book Thief isn't a typical World War II movie (at least not that I have seen). It centers on the everyday life of ordinary people struggling to survive under the Nationalistic rule of Hitler and Nazi Germany. The movie evokes a great range of emotions including sadness, joy, despair, and delight. In this way it is a very realistic type of film with a very real connection to life and people. The young girl in the story, Liesel, who is the main character, "borrows" books to read to a Jewish young man who they are hiding in their basement. This young man often asks Liesel questions that not only makes her character think and grow, but it causes the audience to feel compelled to grow as well. For example. In one part of the movie where Max asks her for the weather report he says; "If your eyes could speak, what would they say?" In another part he presents her with a blank journal and says; "Write. In my religion we're taught that every living thing, every leaf, every bird, is only alive because it contains the secret word for life. That's the only difference between us and a lump of clay. A word. Words are life, Liesel." This movie makes you think and it creates sympathy for the German people who are often lumped in with Hitler's crimes against humanity.Hitler's beliefs were projected onto the German people and society. Not all were under the same belief system as he was. The movie shows the evil humanity can show others and it shows the beauty as well. The narrator is "death" although the movie never comes out and says it. One of the beginning quotes of the narrator is; "One small fact: you are going to die. Despite every effort, no one lives forever. Sorry to be such a spoiler. My advice is when the time comes, don't panic. It doesn't seem to help." At first I thought it was God speaking about bringing souls to heaven,but I quickly came to realize that is not the case. There was an eeriness and coldness when the narrator speaks. A feeling of dread seems to come over you. When I came to this conclusion, it left me with a feeling of incompleteness to the film. There is such depth in the characters and ideas, that it stops short in this respect. This movie is an excellent film and depiction of the times and the belief systems that influenced the period. The characters of this movie will inspire you and the words will stay with you. Once such quote is when Liesel and her mother are in a bomb shelter with their neighbors and Liesel begins to tell a story (which is actually about herself). She begins the story like this; "There once was a girl, who had a friend that lived in the shadows. She would remind him how the sun felt on his skin and the air felt like to breathe, and that reminded her that she was still alive."