***/**** (3.5 stars)
DVD Release
Sent to live with a foster family
after her mother is transported to the camps, Liesel Meminger finds comfort in
reading. With the war closing in, and with a Jew hiding in the basement, Liesel
seeks guidance and strength from her story books, captivating those around her.
I had actively avoided this film
for a long time, as the book is one of my all-time favourites; a real classic
that tackles a well-known war and all its grim details in a new and imaginative
way, with Death acting as narrator. I was somewhat reluctant, then, when my
sister opened it on Christmas morning and announced that we would be watching
it at some point. I went in with gritted teeth… but came out satisfied. Of
course, it in no way matches the impact and creativity of the novel, but as a
simple film about an orphan in war-torn Germany, it is rather touching. Sophie
Nélisse is Liesel, a big-eyed, fresh-faced young actress who perfectly
encapsulates the strength and innocence of her character. Indeed, much of joy
of the film hangs upon her performance, as we follow Liesel from her first day
in her new home into late teenage-hood, witnessing her battles and pleasures
along the way. Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson play Liesel’s adoptive parents
and, although their scripts are remarkably underwritten, they are both a
delight to watch. One of the main strengths of the film is the interplay
between the three, and later four, people in the house and watching their
relationships develop and bloom. Similarly effective is the choice to include a
Nazi propaganda song, sung by a group of children dressed in their Hitler Youth
uniforms. It is certainly a striking moment and very uncomfortable to watch, as
is the book-burning scene.
One of the main reasons I chose
to avoid the film was because of Death. In the novel, Death is a constant and
omniscient narrator, seeing all and commenting on the tiniest detail, from the
colour of the sky to the moment He takes a life. In a novel, you can imagine a
voice, or no voice at all, so to hear the warm voice of Roger Allam seeping out
of the speakers was a little disappointing. I won’t go into the debate as to
whether Death is kind or evil, but I had always imagined His voice as rather
spookier, more threatening. Similarly, our narrator vanishes for a long stretch
of the film, only to reappear again in the final moments of tragedy, whereas He
is a constant presence throughout the novel. I don’t resent the filmmakers for
trying to grapple with the character, but I feel as though it may have worked
better if He, as a narrator, had been entirely absent. Perhaps His absence was
down to the fact that this is a children’s film; even when people are struck by
weapons and hit by bombs, they remain remarkably intact…
Not nearly as bad as I had
feared, but a pale imitation of one of my favourite novels. The performances
help disguise what is essentially a rather generic film, with the depiction of
the four individuals living within the house being one of the special
highlights. Suitable for all ages, it is less hard-hitting than The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and could
definitely be used to educate younger viewers about anti-Semitism. More than
anything, however, it made me want to go back and reread the book.
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