The Book Thief

Rating: 8/10 (16 March 2014)

The Book Thief is a beautifully poignant film that honestly caught me off guard. I'd seen the preview and the poster for the film for weeks and my initial reaction was that this is kind of a light-hearted (to the extent that this is possible in a movie about World War II) story from the point of view of a little girl with whom both children and adults could identify and who would unsurprisingly triumph in the end of whatever struggles she may face. Then I began watching it, and within the first few moments I realized you can't judge a book by its cover, and I'm glad I decided to watch this movie. What I didn't know until reading a bit about the film was that it is based on a book by Markus Zusack (and adapted for the screen by Michael Petroni.) I did not expect to become as emotionally connected with the character Liesel (played by Sophie Nelisse) as I did, and I think a lot of that had to do with the unbelievably endearing performance of Geoffrey Rush as Liesel's "Papa." There is a narrator, he is death. The film instantly became something much bigger than what I'd anticipated, and I no longer had the feeling that a happy ending was guaranteed. What struck me throughout was the fact that although the brilliance of the film direction by Brian Percival and beauty of the film score by John Williams could quickly manifest itself if you focus on it, for the majority of the film these aspects were nearly invisible, creating for the characters a foundation from which they become very strong and enthralling as the story progresses. The incredibly mature and effective acting of Nelisse and Nico Liersch (Rudy) make them as interesting to follow as any pair of star-crossed lovers in a romantic drama. The setting itself, the narrow roads of the village and Heaven Street, bring the viewer to feel very much on the "inside." The camera view rarely peaks above the height of the houses sitting so closely together, creating the feeling that we are unable to escape, just like Liesel, but more than that, we can feel the pressures of being watched constantly inside of a cage. On the flip side of this, I also felt like I was embodying the narrator, death, watching the story unfold and feeling that at any moment all death had to do was reach out and touch someone at any time, completing their part in this story.
In the end, after Liesel has experienced more than her share of both joy and tragedy, the final words from the narrator lead us to a clearing where there is no greater answer than what was stated in the beginning. No matter how strong our character is or the height of spirit we achieve, death eventually comes to us, and many times before a person is ready. The positive twist offered to us in this story is that those achievements can indeed affect even a force as cold and foreboding as death itself, giving him pause, before continuing with his duties, as he must do. http://funkyforestfirstcontact.wordpress.com/