A really well done adaptation of an amazing story.

Rating: 9/10 (15 May 2017)

Quite obviously, this was a movie adaptation of The Book Thief by Marus Zusak. I read the book for the first time a few years ago, and it quickly became one of my top favorites, however I'd never seen the movie until recently. I thought that Brian Percival did an excellent job of bringing Zusak's world to life.
The artistic value of the film cannot be ignored. The production team did a great job on keeping the set and costume designs true to the time period, down to the tiniest of details. The simple piano theme during the intro not only fits beautifully with the time period, but it also portrays the simpleness of childhood while adding a darker element in minor. The cinematography was also impressive, which just adds to the overall artistry of the movie.
As far as entertainment value goes, many people know and love the book (which is amazing!) but I feel like the film isn't getting the attention that it deserves. This was easily one of the best film adaptations of a book that I've ever seen.
The Book Thief is definitely thought-provoking. Of course, there's the unique narration by Death himself. Then there's the fact that the story of WWII is told through the eyes of a young German girl who is hiding a Jew in her basement. It delves into the struggles with racism, especially in the Jesse Owens scene. It really shows the effects that war has on people, especially children. Then there's also the fact that books saved her life. One of the scenes that really illustrates this is when Liesel is reading to everyone in the bomb shelter. Earlier in the story, they had attended a book burning, but at this point, books are the only thing providing Liesel and everyone around her with hope and comfort.
The plot line is so rich and juicy and yet so simple at the same time. The characters are all so three-dimensional and developed so well that it's like they're real people, which is part of what makes the final scene so heartbreaking---and I don't mean "Aww," single tear, and move on with your life type of 'heartbreaking'. No, I mean blotchy-faced, puffy-eyed, heart-wrenching sobs that leave you out of commission for hours afterward type of 'heartbreaking'. Seriously, buckle up.
The only reason I omitted a star from my rating was because I didn't like how they portrayed Death in the movie. What he is lacking in personality, he makes up for in creepiness, which, believe it or not, is not in the nature of Death in the book at all. His character in the book seems much more genuine, and he looks at gathering the souls of the dead as a boring, dead end job that he desperately needs a vacation from, whereas Death in the movies is more stereotypical of the grim reaper. That's my only real complaint. Sorry for the long post!