I knew three things about Marcus Zuskak's novel, The Book Thief, before seeing the movie of the same name (adapted by Michael Petroni):
1. It's set in Nazi Germany,
2. It's narrated by Death,
3. It makes its readers weep.
That last reason is why I've avoided reading the book for so many years, but now, having seen and been so moved by the film, the book has jumped up my to-read list.
The Book Thief begins with a death and Death in Germany in 1938, opening on a white landscape bisected by a belching black train, and we learn from a deeply-voiced narrator (Death himself) that on this train is an extraordinary girl named Liesel (Sophie Nélisse). Death has come for this girl's brother, a moment which begins her life as a book thief in motion, starting with a book stolen at her brother's grave site beside the train tracks. Her journey continues until she arrives in a cozy, busy German town where Liesel meets her new parents, sparkling-eyed Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and his wife, the intimidating Rosa (Emily Watson), who is furious that the two children she'd been promised are now only one timid little girl.
Despite her theft, Liesel is unable to read, but that book – and her illiteracy – form the basis for her two most important relationships. She and Rudy, the boy next door, become close friends after Liesel beats up the school bully for mocking her inability to read, and she and Hans bond as he reads aloud nightly from The Gravedigger's Handbook.
Of course, beneath and around these moments in Liesel's life, Hitler's power spreads in Germany, and war speeds ever closer. The film's director, Brian Percival, does a thoroughly creepy job of illustrating this as Liesel and her classmates take to wearing school uniforms emblazoned with the swastika, and in one memorable and frightening scene, the children perform for a school concert. Their lovely voices (the unsettling lyrics subtitled) rise over a cut to the events of Kristallnacht – Crystal Night – in November 1938, as Jewish business owners and their families are dragged from their homes and beaten in the streets, the broken glass of their storefronts sparkling all around. During this chaos, Death introduces us to another critical player in this story, Max, who must leave his mother behind to escape the brutality of that night.
Liesel seems to be mostly unconcerned with the coming war, until two separate events force her to think harder about the implications. She's pushed to participate in a town book burning (from which she steals a second book), and Max, whose father once saved Hans' life, arrives at the family's door in the middle of the night, in desperate need of shelter. Liesel and Max form a solid friendship through the months the family hides him from the authorities, reading aloud to him and describing the world outside. In one sweet scene, she tells him that the sun like “a silver oyster,” as if the world is “hidden behind a cloud.” Even the director seems to have been enchanted by this image, as the look of the film is much the same, with happy, bright colors mostly leeched from it.
But for all the darkness of the subject matter, there are many moments of humor and lightheartedness. An impromptu snowball fight, a charming crush, and Hans' accordion music are all wonderful, and many are made better by the presence of Geoffrey Rush. As the kind and patient Hans, he gently leads Liesel to understand the words she wishes to read, takes the edges from Rosa's rages, and breaks your heart the night he fears he's drawn dangerous attention to his family after speaking up for a friend who is exposed as Jewish. Hans breaks down in their dark cluttered kitchen, and it's simply breathtaking.
The Book Thief is a story of words, and, as Liesel says, of their ability to remind us that we are still alive. Overall, we give The Book Thief four and a half stars, and highly recommend you see this lovely and devastating film. Bring a box of tissues, and be ready afterwards for the need to find Marcus Zusak's novel in a library or bookstore near you!
Theatrical Trailer:
