Incomprehensible if one hasn't read the novel

Rating: 5/10 (24 November 2019)

Marcus Zusak's novel "The Book Thief" is one of those books that just doesn't work well as a movie adaptation. There is so much to be considered in the novel, so many themes, ideas, and concepts, that the average filmmaker couldn't do it justice. The medium of filmmaking isn't involved enough to fully capture everything like writing can, and this 2013 adaptation perfectly shows how a visualization just doesn't cut the entire story.
Going right in, so much is cut out of the book so that the movie could only run two hours that the story just isn't there anymore. The whole concept of Death being the narrator of the story is barely there; they shouldn't have even bothered including him since he only speaks four times throughout the movie. On top of that, the narrative just happens: Liesel's on the train, her brother coughs a couple times, then they're standing around a grave, which is supposed to be his (those who haven't read the story would be like "What the heck is going on here?") then she's in a car, she goes to her new foster parents...on and on. There is no explanation for anything at all, the dialogue carries no light to anything that is happening and confuses the viewer even further, and very little of the action is brought to life. When the film got to the scene where Liesel, Max, Rosa, and Hans are having a snowball fight in the cellar, it actually got funny and entertaining for a moment - it was then I realized that all the action preceding it just sat there, this was the first time I had gotten engaged in what was happening.
As a result of this, the film is really just a bunch of scenes chained together that do a clumsy job at telling a story. Right there is the issue - the movie is about telling the story that the book told, but the book was not just about narrative. Zusak's novel was more than that. It was a wonderfully interwoven piece of literature showing the power of words, the corruption of society, the strength of love, and so many more important messages. The adaptation takes the basic plot, confuses it, jumbles it around, takes out various things, and leaves behind the messages in the dust. This book just wasn't meant to be a film - only a piece of literature that should not have been tinkered with.
That's not to say everything was done wrong. On the plus side, the director did some things right: great actors for Liesel, Rudy, Hans, and Rosa; good settings; a few decent scenes; and a good ending. Visually, these all make it alright to watch, but it is really not that good mostly because the writing fails to bring any of it to life in a strong way. If anyone wanted to see this, they should read the novel first, because this movie is rather a incomprehensible adaptation otherwise.