Literacy and other barriers

Rating: 10/10 (16 April 2009)

THE READER in the form of Bernard Schlink's masterful book made an emotional impact on those who read it. And for once the book to film version holds nearly as much agony and beauty as the original. The screenplay is by David Hare (whose transformation of 'The Hours' was so worthy) and it captures not only the dialogue of Schlink's novel but fills in the silences with well-constructed added commentary. Stephen Daldry ('The Hours', 'Billy Elliot') directs with great sensitivity to not only the narrative story but to the myriad metaphors that fill the quiet spaces in both the novel and the film.
Michael Berg (David Kross, a significant discovery!) lives in Berlin, falls ill with Scarlet Fever, and is given shelter from the rain and cold by a stern appearing Hanna (Kate Winslet). When Michael recovers from his illness he returns to Hanna's flat to thank her for her kindness and there begins a strange and beautiful love affair between a virginal shy lad and an older but obviously emotionally flat yet needy woman. Despite Michael's family's disdain for his absences away from home, Michael surrenders himself to the passion of love and Hanna softens as she pleads for Michael to read to her. Reading and sex become exchanges for this rare couple until Hanna disappears. Michael discovers her some ears later when Hanna is on trial for war crimes (she had been a guard in the concentration camps). Hanna allows her guilt to override reality in confessing she had been the one who had written the orders for the extermination of Jews - this despite the fact that Hanna is illiterate, a fact known only to Michael.
While Hanna is imprisoned Michael (now Ralph Fiennes) records his reading of books to send to Hanna and during Hanna's twenty years of confinement she learns to read and write because of Michael's efforts and gifts. Once Hanna is scheduled to be released from prison and the prison matron convinces Michael to be in charge of the aging Hanna, the story takes turns and the ending is so gently painful that sharing it would ruin the impact for those who have neither read the book nor seen the film.
Winslet, Kross, and Fiennes are excellent in these very difficult roles. Their performances are enhanced with the supporting cast that includes special cameos by Lena Olin and Bruno Ganz and some other fine German actors. The mood of the film is gray except of the isolated moments of bliss Michael and Hanna share and the atmosphere is well balanced by the musical score of Nico Muhly. This is a film worth viewing repeatedly, there are that many layers of meaning to glean from this cinematic triumph. Grady Harp