Movie Review: The Book Thief

I watched this movie on the plane in an adventurous flight that was like a movie in itself, and after watching a very cruel movie that I hate to even remember, (12 Years a Slave). But when I started watching this movie, I forgot all about that cruelty and the state of our flight! The movie started with a traveling train that drew me deep into the story for the whole two hours.

The story takes place in Germany during the Second World War. A communist mother has to give up her two children to an adoptive family in order to save their life. Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) loses her brother during the journey, and is left alone with her new family; Rosa (Emily Watson) the thunderstorm like mother, and Hans (Geoffrey Rush) the kind hearted father. Liesel who knows not to read nor write gets help from her new father, who teaches her through her first book “The Grave Digger's Handbook”; the first book she stole after the burial of her brother.

During the extermination of the Jews, the family hides Max (Ben Schnetzer) in their basement, which left them in constant fear of being discovered. Liesel gets attached to her new friend Max, and lets him have a glimpse of the outside world through her eyes, and her words. While delivering the laundry to the mayor’s house, Liesel discovers wonderland in a room: in the study room there are the books she was forced to burn! And so starts her story of stealing books.

I liked so many things about this movie as it had many inspiring scenes. For example, when Max asks Liesel to report the weather he said: “If your eyes could speak”, so that he can visualize the outside world through her words. And when he gives her a diary and asks her to write, as if to find someone in words. It will probably lead you to think, do I have anyone whom I would find in words? I liked Max’s personality, and I liked Liesel so much; she is a brave devoted girl. Also, the lightness of the movie, the story and set, the family, and the idea of Liesel’s dictionary, where she creates her own dictionary on the walls of the basement made me like this movie even more.

This is a very light and beautiful movie. During the winter of December, the houses in Heaven Street give the Bavarian test of Germany. The soundtrack by John Williams is so light and beautiful, the kind of music that would lift up your soul and draw a smile on your face! Yet, you are in constant fear of what would happen next, since that story is narrated by Death!

This is a good family movie; it shows how a child is devoted to his/her family, how valuable friendship is, and how to keep a secret! Even for grownups it is a nice movie, you will laugh at some parts and shed tears on others.

The Book Thief movie is based on the novel by Markus Zusak and directed by Brian Percival. It won three awards and was nominated for one Oscar.

It reminded me how much I miss school!

By:

Noura AlNaimi

Twitter & Instagram: @nouranaimi

Blog Twitter & Instagram: @KemzMovies