Extraordinary adaptation of Bernhard Schlink's masterpiece (one of my favorite books)

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2009)

Delightful David Kross, stunning... no, STUNNING Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes, solid and elegant as usual. Though filled with beautiful and tasteful images of sexuality, "The Reader" is really about feelings of guilt and shame. For most of his movie director wants us to identify with Michael, innocent who is also guilty. Michael is ashamed of associating with Hanna and also intensely ashamed of his shame. Director repeatedly makes his point that guilty are also innocent and innocent are also guilty. During trial Hanna is so ashamed of being illiterate that she accepts life sentence. And Michael is so ashamed of his relationship with her that he does not inform court that she is illiterate, that she could not have written that document she is charged with. Because of his inaction Michael is then overcome with guilt for not having helped Hanna, who is now both perpetrator and victim. Mainly because Michael did not provide evidence that would have shortened her prison term and did not give her support that might have avoided her suicide. Hanna is also victimized by other defendants during trial. Michael then tries to do right by flying to New York to visit surviving daughter of one of Hannah's victims played by fabulously convincing Lena Olin. He asks her to take Hannah's money or at least give advice about how to use it but daughter refuses. She harshly rejects any involvement in Hannah's affairs not allowing even little forgiveness. I found interesting Hanna's poverty compared to riches of Olin's character's New York apartment. But there is no mention of it in Schlink's book... My guess is that director was trying to stir guilt in his audience. Perhaps he was trying to turn our sympathy from daughter encouraging us to be more forgiving of Hanna than daughter was. Bottom line? As soon as you want to condemn someone you must face your own moral relativity.