Film Review: The Book Thief

Joelene Pynnonen reviews the movie version of Markus Zusak’s novel.

In 1938, as Germany faces the Second World War, a sick young boy dies on a long train ride. When Death takes the child, it is his sister, Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse), who captures his attention. Liesel has lost far more than any young girl should; her brother has died and her mother, a communist, must leave her with a German couple to keep her from harm.

Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson) Hubermann are about as different as can be in temperament. He is kind and empathetic, while she is short-tempered and sharp-tongued. In beliefs, however, they are closely matched. Neither agrees with Hitler’s views and both are willing to defy them as much as they are able, even to the extent of hiding Max, a Jewish man, in their basement. They and Rudy Steiner, the neighbour’s boy, come to be as much a family to Liesel as her own. The war is drawing closer, however, and the danger is never far away.

The Book Thief, while depicting a horrific era of cruelty, differs from many Holocaust stories. Rather than focusing on Nazis and Jews, it offers a slice of humanity. Using Liesel’s point of view gives the film scope to focus on what German families endured during the war, as well as giving insight into the barbarism of the Holocaust.

Based on the novel of the same name by Australian author Markus Zusak, The Book Thief is aimed at a young adult audience, so the horror is subdued rather than overt. A sense of fear, poverty, and hunger permeates the film, made more poignant by Hans and Rosa’s refusal to join the war effort to gain more food. Throughout, Liesel and her foster-parents struggle to balance safety with morality.

The actors’ performances here are amazing. All characters speak with a German accent, adding authenticity to the setting. Nico Liersch, the actor who plays Rudy, is German, but Sophie Nelisse is not, and the fact that she can manage such a difficult accent at her age does her credit. She has a presence on screen that makes her compellingly watchable. Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson also excel in their parts. Their characters bring a sense of gravity to the film; much of the fear is felt through them as they are old enough to understand consequences.

The Book Thief is a wonderful way to introduce children and young adults to the Holocaust. More than that, it’s a story that speaks to humanity: not choosing sides but acknowledging that everyone has the capacity for kindness, even in difficult times.