THE BOOK THIEF
Director Brian Percival
Cert: 12A, 131 mins
Narrated by death (Roger Allam), The Book Thief is set in Nazi Germany, but transcends this specific context with an emotionally riveting story about life, death, and humanity.
The eponymous thief, Liesel Miminger (Sophie Nelisse), is sent to stay with her adoptive parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson). Hans teaches her how to read, and she soon learns to love the transcendent power of stories, reading whatever books she can find. Books are in short supply, so she often resorts to stealing them.
She makes friends with Rudy, the boy next door, and a Jew who her parents are hiding, Max Vandenberg. Max teaches her to really see the things around her, making the words her own.
Childhood and death
This film, like the similarly intense Bridge to Terebithia and Pan’s Labyrinth, concerns themes of childhood, death, and the power of stories. It’s very well acted, and beautifully shot in an understated way.
John Williams’ score is effective in emphasising the wonder of words and stories, but it’s weirdly anonymous (though far from indistinct). However, this juxtaposition does fit with the film’s idea that it’s not just the obvious, iconic heroes who can be heroic, but that ordinary people can be extraordinary by living out lives full of love, life, and creativity, even in the face of terrible situations.
Understanding humanity
As Max tells Liesel: ‘Words are life’. The film is based on a humanist worldview, and so explores the implications of this mostly in human terms. It does a very good job of showing the dignity (and depravity) that human beings are capable of. Death even comments on this, saying that he’s seen them at their best and their worst, and wonders how both can come from the same thing.
However, Christianity offers the full context for these ideas and is the only way they ultimately make sense. Jesus, the author of life, became human, died on the cross, and rose again, to conquer sin and death. As great a story as The Book Thief may be, that’s the ultimate story.
