What this movie is all about

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2009)

Hanna = traditional epic hero of Greek tragedies and symbolism for Germany(wonder why Micheal is always reading the Odysseys)

She is ideal: beautiful but strong, stoic but compassionate (she offered the condemned Jews what little she could), hardworking, excelling at everything she does, but quite down to earth (despite being a superhuman) - briefly on her behalf re church fire: - Premise 1: prisoners in Church have been convicted and essentially sentenced to death by the state, by people who knows what she doesn't, people who could read, people similar to the judges who would sentence her to life imprisonment, she believes in the tiers of society (you still wonder why she never challenges her sentence) - Premise 2: letting the prisoners out would certainly add to the chaos - Premise 3: the prisoners certainly would attempt escape only to be re-captured and executed - Conclusion: letting the prisoners out would benefit NO ONE

Helpful to note: Hanna DID NOT join the SS by free will, she need the job b/c she had to give up her promotion by Siemens (remember she quit after being promoted from train conductor)

Her forgivable flaw is her pride. Combined with her circumstances/faith -> her predictable downfall. She's an epic hero after all

A victim to her circumstances: she does not get the education she craved and deserved in time (A victim to its circumstances, the fatherland and the hardworking, honest (sturdy) German people suffered unjust hardships post WWI. Germany was unjustly forbidden to have a military force every nation deserves).

In the end, she refuses to let circumstances further take advantage of her and learns to read (yep a 60 yo retarded ADHD learns to read - maybe Mandibule is projecting) (parallel: Germany acquires a strong military under Hitler and goes for a brief vacation in Poland and France to rectify the wrong). Regains pride but dies. Regains respect but loses to the ruskies and Yankees.

The plot of the movie was made to be predictable because: A Good re-watch value. It is a classic. A Bray I'll actually pay for. B It would not be a Greek tragedy otherwise: you fall in love with the hero, you see her inescapable doom and you get catharsis (what the Jew woman recommends to Micheal)

Learning objectives: 1. Don't judge with today's standards, yesterdays' actions. 2. Things are not black/white. If they are to you, you are either a dark sith (per Yoda) or bipolar per DSM-IV.
Beautiful movie on an emotional level, however, on an intellectual level, the movie is a subconscious justification of WWII. The depiction of the ideal Aryan superhuman character tortured by the insensate rest of the world compels the ratification of the injustice. And what about that snobby Jew woman telling Micheal illiteracy isn't a Jewish problem while Hanna had to learn to read in a prison - after watching the movie, i don't like 'em Jews so gud.

Those are the major points. Should be easier now to fill in the gaps. I'll be back to expound if necessary.

BTW fool, in case you got distracted, the reason Hannah dies is because she had to for the cat hairs.