book thief movie review

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Has the use of Nazis in movies reached the point of being pornographic? While some observers might say that line was crossed long ago, others may find that conclusive proof arrives in Brian Percival's "The Book Thief," based on an international bestseller that The New York Times jibed as "Harry Potter and the Holocaust." Here, of course, the kind of pornography that's meant isn't erotic (there are only coy glimmers of that) but sentimental – historic horror enlisted in the cause of facile fantasy.

If you go to a bookstore looking for Markus Zusak's novel, the movie's source, you're likely be directed to the Young Adult or Teen Fiction sections, which explains a lot about the movie's appeal, and lack thereof. Like a kid-friendly mulch of elements cribbed from "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "Slaughterhouse-Five," the film conceivably could play well to an audience of 12-year-olds and their grandparents. Other adults, though, are more apt to find the proceedings an occasion for fits of squirming and eye-rolling.

This is the movie, after all, that's narrated by Death, a device that you can imagine possibly working in a Hollywood film of the '30s or '40s, but hardly since. What's the Grim Reaper doing here, besides nudging along the exposition and dropping ironic bon mots? Obviously, he serves a purpose much akin to that of the movie's impeccably costumed but barely differentiated Nazis: to attempt giving some thematic ballast to a tale so wispy and ungrounded that otherwise it might float away.

The center of that fiction is Liesel ( Sophie Nelisse ), one of those spunky young heroines that keep the Young Adult industry afloat. When Death first introduces her, in 1938, she is on the run with a fugitive mother and a little brother who dies in the first scene. Soon after, Mom vanishes over the horizon and Liesel is taken in by a good-hearted provincial couple, kindly Hans ( Geoffrey Rush ) and crusty-but-lovable Rosa ( Emily Watson ). Was the girl's mom, as is hinted, a communist? Why would this couple, who barely have enough to eat, take in an unknown child to care for? Such are the questions the movie ignores as it gallops along to history's accelerating drumbeat.

Here's another: How is it that Liesel, mocked by her new schoolmates for being illiterate, quickly morphs not just into a reader but one so adept and voracious that she's soon swiping books from the local burgermeister's library? (This valorization of reading is a transparent come-on in many books aimed at young readers.) Whatever its source, her newfound passion is one she shares with Max ( Ben Schnetzer ), a young Jewish guy the kindly couple hide in their basement. And of course, the Nazis hate books, as they demonstrate by burning a heap in the town square.

Our heroine's bookishness, meanwhile, is mainly a source of bemusement to Rudy (Nico Liersh), the flaxen-haired neighbor boy who befriends and dotes on her. In a different, more reality-based movie, their relationship would be a coming-of-age romance. But though the characters here age from 13 to 17 during the story, at the end they look exactly like the barely pubescent kids they were when it started, and the troubling excitements of eros never arise.

That ostensibly strange fact is perhaps explained less by the obvious constraints of filming the same actors in a short production schedule than by the have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too logic that guides so many fantasy narratives. In this realm, people supposedly grow up, yet at the same time remain magically innocent and unchanged. Likewise, history: the mean old Nazis hound Max and march sad-looking Jews down the street, but we never see what happens to those Jews—they remain vaguely wistful images divorced from the cruel reality of their corporeal fates.

While director Percival ("Downton Abbey") elicits estimable performances from his cast, especially Nelisse, Rush and Watson, the visible world he embeds them in looks like a set from an old studio movie or a '50s TV sitcom. Heaven Street, the provincial thoroughfare is called, and its airbrushed quaintness is as dreamily reassuring as John Williams' score, despite (or because of?) the heavily fetishized Nazi flags that seem to festoon every available inch of screen space.

In the end, there's a distinct air of solipsism to this tale. To be sure, bombs fall, death ensues, and Heaven Street briefly appears rather hellish. But Liesel undergoes no discernible transformation, and that seems to be the point: History may be awful, but a young heroine's spunkiness can overcome anything. Thus does actual tragedy get reduced to the role of kitschy backdrop, a transposition of true obscenity.

Godfrey Cheshire

Godfrey Cheshire is a film critic, journalist and filmmaker based in New York City. He has written for The New York Times, Variety, Film Comment, The Village Voice, Interview, Cineaste and other publications.

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Film Credits

The Book Thief (2013)

Rated PG-13

Geoffrey Rush as Hans Hubermann

Emily Watson as Rosa Hubermann

Sophie Nélisse as Liesel Meminger

Ben Schnetzer as Max Vandenburg

Nico Liersch as Rudy Steiner

Joachim Paul Assböck as SS Officer

Sandra Nedeleff as Sarah

Kirsten Block as Frau Heinrich

Matthias Matschke as Wolfgang Edel

Brian Percival

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The book thief, common sense media reviewers.

Emotional WWII drama explores loss, literacy, and love.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie, as with the book, has positive messages

Liesel is curious, kind, and willing to work hard

The violence ranges from the deaths of various cha

Rudy repeatedly asks for a kiss, and by the end of

Insults are used, but sometimes as terms of endear

One shot of an Apple computer and logo in the clos

Some adults smoke cigarettes.

Positive Messages

The movie, as with the book, has positive messages about the power of literacy and books; the importance of unconditional friendship; the relationship between parents and children; and the necessity of standing up for other people in need. The presence of Death also encourages the viewer not to squander their lives, because you never know when the end will arrive.

Positive Role Models

Liesel is curious, kind, and willing to work hard to learn how to read. Liesel's foster father Hans is patient, loving, and kind. He helps out Max when it would be much easier to denounce him, and he resists getting involved with the Nazi Party, even though it's the ruling government. Rosa comes off as harsh, but she does love Hans and Liesel and shows it in her own way. Rudy Steiner defends and protects Liesel.

Violence & Scariness

The violence ranges from the deaths of various characters to scenes of Nazis terrorizing Jews in front of their homes and businesses and other occasions. Every scene with a Nazi officer is fraught with anxiety, and the character deaths (or near deaths) will upset even adult viewers. There are also a couple of scenes of schoolyard bullying and fights. During a couple of bombing raids, the entire town evacuates and is worried, anxious and afraid. A Nazi officer strikes Liesel and then Hans.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Rudy repeatedly asks for a kiss, and by the end of the movie, when Rudy and Liesel are about 14, it's clear they have feelings for each other. One kiss.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Insults are used, but sometimes as terms of endearment and usually in German, like the expletives "Saumensch" and "Saukerl" ("dirty swine"), "Arschloch" ("a--hole"). Rosa often uses insults: "good-for-nothing"; "dreckigs" ("dirty"); "know-nothing," "stupid," and "idiot."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

One shot of an Apple computer and logo in the closing scene.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Book Thief is a historical drama set in WWII Germany based on the bestselling young-adult novel by Australian author Markus Zusak . There are many scenes of violence, from the way the Nazis treat Jews, to schoolyard fights, to recurring bomb threats. There are many character deaths and near-deaths that will affect even the most jaded of viewers, though there's almost no blood and zero gore. Language includes German insults that translate to "a--hole" and "dirty swine" as well as "stupid" and "idiot." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

Parents say (19)
Kids say (68)

Based on 19 parent reviews

Beauty and light in the face of darkness

You might have to explain some words to your children, what's the story.

THE BOOK THIEF, like the book on which it's based, is narrated by Death (Roger Allam), who explains that he rarely cares about the stories of the living, with the exception of young Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse). In 1938, Liesel is shown on a train with her frightened mother (rumored to be a Communist) and sick little brother, who dies before they reach their small town destination. At his impromptu funeral, Liesel steals The Gravedigger's Handbook as a memento. She's soon delivered to childless foster parents, gentle painter Hans ( Geoffrey Rush ) and abrasive laundress Rosa ( Emily Watson ). At home, Hans discovers the book and begins to teach Liesel how to read, and at school, Liesel befriends her neighbor, the fast-running Rudy Steiner (Nico Liersch). Liesel's life changes even more when Hans and Rosa agree to hide a young Jewish man, Max (Ben Schnetzer), in their basement. Liesel, now a voracious reader, forms a sweet secret friendship with Max -- but as the war progresses, all of them are put in danger again and again.

Is It Any Good?

The film may not steal your heart quite as powerfully as Zusak's novel, but it is faithful enough to show moviegoers why the characters are so beloved. Take Rudy, he's a "boy with hair the color of lemons" who doesn't care that his Olympic idol Jesse Owens is black -- he just wants to run fast and convince Liesel to give him a kiss. Then there's Max, who shows Liesel how to resist hate, and who paints over the pages of Mein Kampf to give Liesel a place for her words. And class actors Rush and Watson are fabulous as the bickering but loving Hubermanns, who really love their new daughter. This is a movie that will make you cry, make you laugh, and make you hold your books close to your heart.

Markus Zusak 's novel is unforgettable: How many books are narrated by Death? The movie doesn't pull off the Death narration quite as seamlessly as the novel (plus, Allam's voice is stereotypically deep and knowing), but the at-times heartbreaking story will still resonate with viewers, who will grow to love young plucky Liesel. Nelisse is lovely as the curious Liesel, who despite losing her entire immediate family, is open to love -- whether it's from her parents, her new friend Max, or her best friend Rudy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the importance of literacy and books. How does learning to read change Liesel's life? Why does she "steal" books? How can books make an impact on even a horrible situation?

What makes a movie or a book "young adult" -- the age of the protagonist, the intended audience, or something else?

How is this movie different from others about WWII? Do you believe there were Germans who weren't fond of the Nazi regime or of Hitler's anti-semitic laws?

In the movie, like the book, Death is the narrator, but he doesn't reveal things the same way. What did you think of the narrator in the movie? For those who've read the book, did you like and understand the changes between the page and screen versions?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 8, 2013
On DVD or streaming : March 11, 2014
Cast : Emily Watson , Geoffrey Rush , Sophie Nelisse
Director : Brian Percival
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
Genre : Drama
Topics : Book Characters , Friendship , History
Run time : 125 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : some violence and intense depiction of thematic material
Last updated : March 12, 2024

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The Book Thief (2013)

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The Book Thief Reviews

The film has its respectful essence, but lacks a bit of the spirit and entertainment value.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 16, 2024

For two hours I was a resident on that small town German street. I cared about the characters, laughed with them, and was pierced by the tragedies they endured.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 19, 2022

The Book Thief mixes British actors using German accents, a few German actors, and the occasional German word, creating a playfully successful illusion of German-ness. The story is tragic and captivating at the same time. Nélisse and Rush are outstanding.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 27, 2022

Laudably, The Book Thief 's main theme is the need to defend culture, a subject of the greatest urgency in the present political situation.

Full Review | Feb 27, 2021

Doesn't always trust the story to work on its own, so it wedges in a few too many big moments - and one egregious bit of product placement - but when it relies on the performances, it works.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 1, 2021

The film's real selling point proves to be the presence of Geoffrey Rush.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4.0 | Sep 4, 2020

Impeccably acted and beautifully scripted, The Book Thief is an absorbing effort that captures everything that was so widely admired about the original novel. Co-stars Nico Liersch.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | May 4, 2020

The Book Thief has stolen my heart. To describe the film in a word, it's quite simply, magnificent.

Full Review | Jan 7, 2020

As it is, The Book Thief still finds its way into your heart slowly and over time, and it stays there way after leaving the theater.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 31, 2019

It may span the most significant decades of last century, but The Book Thief pretty much boils down to girl-lives-with-family, girl-learns-to-read - for two hours.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 8, 2019

Opening with a sweeping shot of a train racing on snow-covered tracks, a title card reads 'Germany, February 1938'. This kind of vagueness sets up a film that brushes past details in favour of a broad-strokes Nazi movie for the whole family.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 11, 2018

The film has essentially been commissioned on the say-so of pinot-guzzling, chick-lit-licking chocoholics, and it shows. Boy, it's dull and pointless.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Feb 22, 2018

The film is hamstrung by the novel's structure, unsure whether to be a 12A-certificate family outing, or to luxuriate in morbid irony.

Full Review | Jan 2, 2018

While it may not be suitable for young children, The Book Thief may be one of the best films for families that will play through the holiday season.

Full Review | Nov 29, 2017

It's probably a little too modest for its potential Oscar goals, but it's a fine film nonetheless.

Full Review | Oct 20, 2017

The Book Thief manages to capture the horror of war and the tension of life in the Hubermann household, and there are moments that will shock those not familiar with the story.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 8, 2017

Ultimately not much more complex than the moment in which two children yell "I hate Hitler" across a lake, it imparts the message that Nazis are bad, books are good, and Geoffrey Rush would make a great dad even in WWII Germany

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 5, 2014

This extremely moving drama suggests the Holocaust story Ray Bradbury might have written: Events are seen through a child's eyes; books are shown to contain a healing, transformative power; and the supernatural is real, if symbolic.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 24, 2014

Zusak's story is stirring, and it holds the film up during most of its predictable parts, but The Book Thief never rises too far above that. The narration from Death only serves to make it more like some sort of fantastical fairy tale.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Mar 22, 2014

Regrettably this poignant and profound story, does not feel very poignant nor profound at all.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 10, 2014

clock This article was published more than 10 years ago

‘Book Thief’ movie review

" The Book Thief " has its moments of brilliance, thanks in large part to an adept cast. But the movie about a girl adopted by a German couple during World War II also crystallizes the perils of book adaptations. Based on a bestselling novel , the movie tries heartily to contain writer Markus Zusak's myriad plot points, but the result is a rushed conclusion, which tempers the intended tear-jerking climax.

The sticky-fingered title character is Liesel. With bouncy blond hair and big, sad eyes, actress Sophie Nélisse utterly embodies the character of a girl given up for adoption shortly after her brother dies. When Liesel’s on-the-run Communist mother can no longer care for her, she’s taken in by Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson). The child immediately bonds with her new father, a smiling accordion player who calls Liesel “your majesty.” Rosa is more standoffish and looks constantly for excuses to yell. (She finds many.)

Despite her tendency to pick up lost books, Liesel can’t read or write, and that momentarily makes her a punch line at school. One bully learns quickly, though, that although Liesel can’t spell, she can fight, and that’s just the first hint of her tenacious personality. After Hans teaches her to read, Liesel’s world begins to expand, both through stories from books she sneakily “borrows” and in a reality that’s informed by an oppressive regime. In this small German village, she finds reasons to be optimistic thanks to a friendship with another youngster, Rudy (Nico Liersch), but she also comes to understand the saddest repercussion of Third Reich rule after a man named Max comes to the family’s door one night. The son of Hans’s old friend, Max is Jewish and on the run, and he ends up hiding in the family’s basement.

There is plenty here to create both an emotional payoff and a healthy dose of suspense. But director Brian Percival's film squanders the opportunities by squeezing a number of other subplots into the two-hour run time. These threads have the space to breathe and evolve in a novel , but when it comes to the film, less would have been more.

That being said, “The Book Thief” has its pleasures. Along with a memorable performance from Nélisse, Rush and Watson prove their impressive range. Despite the film’s dark themes, there are a number of scenes of gentle comedy, and those come mostly thanks to Rush’s and Watson’s facial expressions and delivery. Ben Schnetzer, who plays Max, hasn’t acted in many films, but his performance is indelible as an older brother figure trying to protect his young friend from the sad realities of the day.

From the pristinely shot scenes of a train chugging through a snowy landscape that open the film, “The Book Thief” has a sleekness to it. That feeling is mirrored in a plot that feels whitewashed in some ways. For example, Rosa discusses cutting back on meals now that the family has to provide for its refugee, but there aren’t depictions of hunger or suffering.

Just as Max tempers the reality for Liesel, the movie does the same for its viewers. That ensures a PG-13 rating and a broader audience, of course. But when the delivery is blunted, the audience’s emotions will tend to follow suit.

PG-13. At area theaters. Contains violence and depictions of death. In English and some German with subtitles. 131 minutes.

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The book thief: film review.

Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson and newcomer Sophie Nelisse star in director Brian Percival's adaptation of the Markus Zusak novel.

By Stephen Farber

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“From the studio that brought you Life of Pi! ” declare the ads for the new 20th Century Fox literary adaptation of The Book Thief . Both of these movies are indeed rarities in today’s marketplace; they are films for adults, adapted from best-selling novels with philosophical overtones, that are a long way from the comic book franchises more beloved of today’s studio executives. The gamble on Life of Pi paid off in spades for Fox; the film not only won four Oscars but became an enormous worldwide financial success. Neither of those achievements will be duplicated by The Book Thief , but you still have to give the studio credit for going against the grain and gambling on the intelligence of the audience.

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The Book Thief

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

If there can be such a thing as a sweet, reflective fable about death and the Holocaust, The Book Thief is it. Based on the bestseller by Markus Zusak, the film tells the story of Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse), a young girl left in the care of foster parents Hans Hubermann (Geoffrey Rush) and his strict laundress wife, Rosa (Emily Watson). It’s gentle Hans who teaches the illiterate Liesel how to read. Since the story is set in Nazi Germany, you can see what’s coming when good Christian Hans takes in Max Vandenburg (Ben Schnetzer), a Jewish boy whose father saved Hans during World War I. Hidden in the basement (a distinct allusion to Anne Frank’s attic), Max is read to by Liesel, who steals books from the library of a local bürgermeister. A bond grows, and some valuable and scary life lessons are learned.

The simplicity of Michael Petroni’s script seems a drawback at first. But skilled director Brian Percival ( Downton Abbey ) slowly, effectively tightens the vise as evil intrudes into the life of this child. Rush, an actor of unerring grace and grit, gives a touching, vital performance. He doesn’t shout. Neither does the film. Its grieving heart is never in question.

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Every Harry Potter Book, Ranked Worst To Best

Hunger games prequel star addresses a possible return as snow after bosas, fast & furious 12 returning to the franchise’s roots makes fast x’s ending even worse 1 year later, moviegoers who appreciate films for quality acting, immersive period settings, as well as a healthy dose of humor within a heartbreaking drama, will likely find the book thief delivers..

The Book Thief , based on the novel by Markus Zusak, follows the story of adolescent "Book Thief" Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse) during the time of Nazi Germany. After tragedy strikes her family, Liesel is adopted by kind-hearted working-class painter Hans Hubermann (Geoffrey Rush) and his strict but loving wife Rose (Emily Watson). Despite forging a fast friendship with neighbor boy Rudy Steiner (Nico Liersch), Liesel is teased by her classmates on the first day of school for being illiterate. As a result, Hans commits to teaching his adopted daughter to read and write - at a time when the Nazis have begun outlawing most literary works.

Liesel settles into her life with the Hubermanns, attending school and relishing whatever books she can get her hands on, until a mysterious Jewish man, Max Vandenburg (Ben Schnetzer), with ties to Hans' past, appears at the house one night. On the verge of death and hunted by the Nazis, the Hubbermans offer Max refuge. Over the coming months Liesel and the young man bond over the power of words; however, as World War II begins and Adolf Hitler's forces stoke anti-Axis allies, life for the Hubbermans, their guest, and the titular Book Thief, becomes increasingly perilous.

The second feature film (not counting several TV movies) from director Brian Percival, The Book Thief is an impactful historical drama with captivating performances from its main cast - especially adolescent leading lady Sophie Nélisse. Still, while Percival captures intriguing juxtapositions from Nazi Germany (ex. a children's choir singing about the inferiority of non-Germans), the feature film glosses over many of the book's intricacies as well as the horror of the larger Nazi-led genocide. At times, The Book Thief adaptation is a mixed bag, successfully capturing the complexities of the time with personal stories of Germans who were not complicit in Hitler's agenda, whereas other scenes are painted in extremely broad strokes that reduce multi-faceted social issues into one-note caricature.

Given the best selling novel source material, moviegoers shouldn't be surprised that the core Book Thief story is riveting - full of interesting characters and encounters that provide plenty of room for high caliber actors to shine. Unfortunately, the 131 minute runtime causes a bizarre jumble of content - including some of the book's richest ideas but failing to explore many beyond surface level plot points. Given the reach (and depth) of the source material, Percival was clearly pressed to include as much as he could - but the film falls short in several of its most important efforts.

Plot beats are rushed through the pipeline so quickly that there's barely time to miss, or feel the absence of, characters that are stolen off to war - or the relief that comes with finding out a periled character is actually safe. The relationship between Liesel and Max, especially, is reduced down to a few sweet moments, but in spite of the pair's chemistry onscreen, the friendship is extremely rushed and unearned - making it hard to understand the bond that the movie tells (but does not show) the audience exists between the two.

Nevertheless, The Book Thief cast is not to blame for any shortages in the onscreen drama. Nélisse is impeccable as Liesel - presenting subtle nuance and exemplifying the mix of fear and uncertainty that haunted even German citizens during Hitler's reign. Despite a somewhat thin look at the greater implications of WWII, Percival excels at offering a diverse range of human moments that attempt to show a more intimate side of everyday people living under the ever-suspicious eye of the Nazi-regime. Many of these dramatic scenes excel because of Nélisse's talent - as she consistently bumps into abrasive Nazi ideologies but is not in a position to publicly showcase her discontent. Instead, Nélisse presents Liesel's beliefs through delicate scenes of honor and courage - which, regardless of the subdued approach, make for impressive and emotional drama.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that Nélisse is surrounded by an accomplished stable of actors - especially Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson as Liesel's foster parents. Rush brings his usual command of humor and dramatic authority, making Hans one of the most likable and sympathetic characters in the film, even though he isn't altered much by his various experiences. Conversely, Watson's Rose steals several key encounters - as viewers will be endeared to the buttoned-up mother figure as unfolding events chip away at her no-nonsense demeanor. In fact, the scenes where Rose manages to forget the troubles of the neighborhood, her family, and the ever-persistent state of danger, to let go and join with Hans and Liesel in a fleeting moment of levity are some of the film's most enchanting (and cathartic) sequences.

Supporting players, especially Nico Liersch, as Liesel's best friend Rudy, are also solid in their roles - with Liersch owning several of The Book Thief 's most insightful and comedic exchanges. Ben Schnetzer, portraying Jewish refugee Max, is also a strong, albeit underutilized, addition - who enjoys a much more prominent role in the book - and is mostly relegated to near-death duty (as well as a few witty exchanges with Liesel) in the movie adaptation.

While the restricted scope of the film helps to tell the main Book Thief storyline, the movie falls short of developing many of the presented events beyond interconnected, but mostly surface-level, displays of exposition and tension. Moviegoers who appreciate films for quality acting, immersive period settings, as well as a healthy dose of humor within a heartbreaking drama, will likely find The Book Thief delivers on all the necessary technical notes - exhibiting a rich series of historical fiction events. Yet, fans of the book itself (or those looking for a deeper exploration of WWII Germany) may find that outside the scene-to-scene drama very few relationships or thematic ideas are fully realized, since Percival relies on simply showing Nazi Germany and its citizens - instead of intimately exploring the setting and people through unique or particularly memorable insight.

If you’re still on the fence about The Book Thief , check out the trailer below:

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The Book Thief runs 131 minutes and is Rated PG-13 for some violence and intense depiction of thematic material. Now playing in theaters.

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DVD & Streaming

The Book Thief

Drama , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

November 8, 2013
Geoffrey Rush as Hans Hubermann; Emily Watson as Rosa Hubermann; Sophie Nélisse as Liesel Meminger; Nico Liersch as Rudy Steiner; Ben Schnetzer as Max Vandenburg; Roger Allam as Narrator/Death

Home Release Date

March 11, 2014
Brian Percival

Distributor

20th Century Fox

Movie Review

“Words are life.”

That’s what Max, the young Jewish man the Hubermanns keep hidden in the basement, tells Liesel one day. And she believes him with all her heart. There’s something about books, with all their stories and lessons, that maintain and buoy Liesel’s spirit. They keep her going.

They kept Max going too. She would read to him every day as he struggled to stay alive and make it through his sickness in that damp basement.

When Liesel stops to think about it, it’s amazing how far she’s come with life and books in just the last few years. When she first showed up at Hans and Rosa Hubermann’s front doorstep, she was but an illiterate 11-year-old with little hope. Her younger brother had just died and her Communist mother was rumored to be running for her life.

The Nazis are in power in Germany. And little girls who like to read books aren’t faring very well.

The kind Hans did help Liesel feel welcome. He even struck a bargain with her: They would help each other learn to read. (Even though Liesel was pretty sure he knew more than he was saying.)

Since then she has learned so much. She made a good friend in Rudy, the boy next door. And she even gained access to a small library, a rather rare thing since book burnings are the order of the day. But the local bürgermeister’s wife, Frau Hermann, let Liesel secretly read the books in her late son’s personal library during weekly laundry deliveries.

Papa Hans then created a homemade dictionary―painted right on the walls of the basement―where Liesel could write down all the new words she encountered.

Of course, soon enough, the dank basement was needed for another purpose. Max’s father had once saved Hans’ life, and so Papa was honor-bound to help the young, sickly refugee when he showed up in the dead of night, never mind the danger. And as Liesel gets to know the Jewish man, she realizes that protecting him is really the only choice.

For there are some things you protect at any cost―life, friendship, love, honor and, yes, words.

Positive Elements

This story of average German citizens suffering under the heel of a vicious Nazi boot produces many positives messages. And centrally, the film portends that even in the worst of times, there are good people who will give of themselves to help others. It maintains that such simple actions change everything.

Hans is such a man. Even though he and his wife initially take in Liesel for a government allowance, he quickly sees that she is heartbroken (over the loss of her family) and does everything he can to make her feel loved and welcome. Hans becomes a fond, caring father to the girl―helping her to read and teaching her of honor and love―and she easily takes to calling him Papa. Even his storm cloud of a thundering wife, Rosa, eventually shows that there’s a hidden tenderness beneath her gruff exterior.

Later, when Max stumbles to the door, Hans readily takes in the persecuted Jew, protecting and hiding him in spite of the Nazi threats. Hans impresses upon his “daughter,” “a person is only as good as their word.”

Liesel attaches herself to Max, reading him book after book to try to keep him alive. In return, Max encourages Liesel’s love of words―creating a book in which she can use her wealth of new words to express her feelings and perceptions.

Hans and Liesel also use their gifts―he with an accordion, she with stories―to comfort frightened townsfolk in an air raid shelter.

[ Spoiler Warning ] When Max chooses to leave his hiding place in order to spare Liesel and her new family from harm, Hans wonders aloud how much their months of struggle actually meant. Liesel replies. “Maybe we were just being people. That’s what people do.” Later we find out that he needn’t have worried; that their efforts on Max’s behalf were the very thing that saved his life.

Spiritual Elements

The narrator is Death. He never makes reference to his spiritual nature except to say that he stands apart from flesh and blood humans and fulfills his job of collecting their souls when their time comes. He sometimes marvels over the goodness or the character of the people he collects, and he reports a few of their final thoughts. In one instance, he talks of a man looking up into the night sky and “thanking God for the stars that blessed his eyes.”

In times of great stress, Hans cries out, “God in heaven!” and, “Christ on a cross, what have I done?”

Sexual Content

Violent content.

We see several wartime bombings and their aftermath. A truck full of soldiers is hit and flipped onto its roof. Bodies are strewn in the rubble of a demolished village street. (They all look as if they fell asleep after getting very dirty.) The Nazis smash shop windows and drag people into the streets where they kick and punch them. When the Nazis drag one man away, Hans openly challenges them, asking for a reason—and an officer pushes him to the ground, slamming his head against the paving stones.

When Liesel’s young brother dies, she spots a small trickle of blood coming from his nose. Schoolmate Franz bullies Rudy and Liesel on several occasions, usually through pushing and shoving meanness. Liesel gets into a full-fledged fight with him, driving him to the ground and pummeling him repeatedly. She also falls and rips the skin from her shin. An angry neighbor drags Liesel’s friend Rudy to his front door by the ear.

Crude or Profane Language

One “h‑‑‑” and three or four careless interjections of “oh my god.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Other negative elements.

Rosa initially appears to be a rather foul individual, calling Liesel “stupid and dirty.” Many of the local kids support that idea, calling the young girl names such as “dummkopf” when they learn she can’t read or spell. Not that the Nazi leadership would care. They’d rather destroy books than read them, and they hold regular book-burning ceremonies they say will free the populace from “intellectual dirt.” (Liesel snatches The Invisible Man back from the flames.)

Liesel sneaks into a house to steal/borrow several books.

“I make it a policy to avoid the living,” Death tells us as he makes his way through the movie’s opening narration. “I don’t know what it was about Liesel, but she caught me … and I cared.” And with that, Death points us to a young, emotionally wounded girl we can’t help but also care for.

Based on a best-selling novel penned by Australian author Markus Zusak and now translated into 30 different languages, The Book Thief isn’t a bombastic slaughter-of-war pic as much as it’s a movie about the intimate agonies of life on the outside edges of war―the pains, hungers and worries of children and families and loved ones. Director Brian Percival (best known for his work on the Downton Abbey television series) gives the film a steady, deliberately slow pace, which makes the generally quiet, dramatic scenes of loss or small victory take on an even stronger sense of force and importance.

This isn’t an easy film to live with. Death tells us that he was very productive at his job during the story’s years of 1938 to 1945. And even though we don’t witness the true gruesomeness of it all, the weight and misery of war and Jewish persecution is a heavy cinematic burden to bear.

But what this film and its young protagonist do best in the midst of that wretchedness is to help us see just how logical and possible it would have been for mostly good people to be horribly changed, in small incremental ways, by the Nazi agenda that surrounded them. A book-burning rally could seem normal and cheer-worthy with the right speech or setting. And it’s only certain individuals―such as our young Liesel who surreptitiously grabs a smoldering book from the pile, or a father wondering aloud why a “good neighbor” is being taken away―who give us an anchor. They remind us of how misguided and malevolent State group-think can corrupt and steal away what’s most precious to us. Our freedom. Our morality. Our compassion.

And they remind us that we don’t have to succumb. That we mustn’t.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Movie Review: The Book Thief (2013)

Howard Schumann
Movie Reviews
4 responses
--> December 21, 2013

The Book Thief (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

An unbreakable bond.

Like René Clément’s “ Forbidden Games ,” British director Brian Percival’s The Book Thief focuses on the effect of war on children who are forced by circumstances into coping with events beyond their capacity to understand. Written by Michael Petroni and based on the novel by Australian author Markus Zusak, it is a story told with power and conviction about the Nazi’s systematic attempts to destroy learning and culture in Germany during World War II. It is not a film about the Holocaust per se but about how the war impacted ordinary citizens in a small working class German town where people were compelled to support the Nazi cause most likely without knowing about the concentration camps and the Nazi genocide.

Like the book, the film is narrated by “Death” (voice of Roger Allam), though he is never identified as such. It is a risky device that could have been mawkish but, in the context of the film which is mainly geared to young adults, provides some humor and softens the disturbing events seen on the screen. Liesel Meminger, in a superb performance by French-Canadian actress Sophie Nélisse (“ Monsieur Lazhar “), is a young girl of eleven who is adopted by surrogate parents after her mother, ostensibly a Communist, abandons her for unstated reasons, though they can be easily guessed. The family was also expecting Liesel’s younger brother but, sadly, he died of an unexplained cause during their long train ride.

Liesel’s new foster parents, the Hubermanns, are very different from each other. Hans (Geoffrey Rush), a housepainter who has refused to join the Nazi Party and has suffered economically for it, is warmer and more immediately accepting than his wife Rosa (Emily Watson), who appears cold and brusque. As the political climate worsens, the family observes the Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), a state-approved violent outburst in November, 1938 against Jewish businesses and synagogues in both Germany and Austria, an event that resulted in the murder of hundreds and the forced deportation of 300,000 German Jews to concentration camps.

Upset at the taunting she has to endure at school because of her illiteracy, Hans, who plays the accordion to stay calm, begins to teach Liesel to read, using the basement walls as a blackboard. Studying the only book she has, The Grave Digger’s Handbook which she stole at her brother’s funeral, stimulates in her a passion for reading. After seeing Liesel save a book from the fire after a Nazi book-burning ceremony, the burgomaster’s wife, Ilsa Hermann (Barbara Auer) who Liesel works for as a laundress, invites her into her home to see the vast library put together by her now deceased son. Her visits become an important part of her life until she is thrown out by Ilsa’s fanatical husband, losing an important source of income in the process.

A new avenue is opened for learning, however, when Hans allows Max (Ben Schnetzer) to hide out in their basement, repaying a debt owed to the boy’s father for saving his life during World War I. As Max lies ill, recuperating from his injuries, Liesel reads to him from books that she takes from Ilsa’s library. In reciprocation, Max shows Liesel the path to becoming a writer by stimulating the use of her imagination. In addition to her relationship with Max, Liesel has also become friends with Rudy Steiner (Nico Liersch) a fair haired German classmate who is ridiculed at school because of his admiration for the black track star, Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics.

Though they both have to wear hated Nazi youth uniforms, they are aligned on their hatred of the Führer. Though John Williams score adds to the appeal of The Book Thief , Percival avoids the temptation of heart-tugging sentimentality, allowing whatever tears are evoked by the film’s emotional climax to be fully earned. Contrary to the specious arguments of some critics that The Book Thief is “Disneyfied” and makes light of the Nazi crimes, it is a perfect film for young people to learn about the dangers of an authoritarian government and to appreciate the value of the written word and the importance of culture and knowledge in a civilized society.

Tagged: daughter , Nazi , novel adaptation , WWII

I am a retired father of two living with my wife in Vancouver, B.C. who has had a lifelong interest in the arts.

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'Movie Review: The Book Thief (2013)' have 4 comments

December 22, 2013 @ 12:18 am Jack Hogle

Read the book.

December 22, 2013 @ 11:53 am Eat the Lamb

I hated “The Reader” for its tackiness with the subject matter and I get the same hollow feeling in my stomach when I look at this. The Academy should eat it up though.

December 29, 2013 @ 8:33 pm Howard Schumann

So I take it you haven’t seen it? Nothing tacky about it.

January 2, 2014 @ 2:16 pm Eat the Lamb

I haven’t. My comment was based off of first impressions.

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The Book Thief review – 'Strange and saccharine'

T here's an unsettling sort of deja vu to be had in watching this strange and saccharine film, based on the 2005 young-adult bestseller by Australian writer Markus Zusak . I have not read the book, but the film looks like a creepy new version of the Anne Frank story, with the leading character recast as a brave and pretty little Aryan girl; the brutal reality of the Holocaust is not dwelt upon. Sophie Nélisse plays Liesel, a young girl in 1930s Germany who is left to kindly but harassed foster parents Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson) by her fugitive Communist mother. It is this trio's courage and victimhood that take centre-stage. Liesel is forced to join the Hitler Youth, but is secretly disgusted by the Nazis' book-burning displays and conceives a love of literature by "borrowing" books from the Mayor's wife. And as war breaks out, she is taught to love writing by Max (Ben Schnetzer), the Jew that her foster parents are hiding in the cellar, and whose deferential friendship and gratitude are the guarantee of their good-Germanness. This lite-historical tosh has absolutely nothing in common with the power of Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List. It's a worryingly lenient and obtuse approach to history and historical evil, which are smothered in feelgood tragi-sentimental slush.

The Book Thief
Drama films
Geoffrey Rush
Emily Watson

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The Book Thief, film review: Dark material but this film plays like a typical coming-of-age story

(12a) brian percival, 133 mins starring: geoffrey rush, emily watson, sophie nélisse, ben schnetzer, nico liersch, article bookmarked.

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Sentimental education: Sophie Nélisse and Geoffrey Rush in ‘The Book Thief’

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The Book Thief is a handsomely mounted but strangely pitched adaptation of Markus Zusak's 2005 novel about a young girl in Nazi Germany. The accents grate. Dialogue here is delivered in English but with a Germanic twang and a few German words ("nein!") thrown into the mix. Much of the material is very dark indeed but even against the backcloth of the Holocaust, the film plays like a typical coming-of-age story.

Our narrator is Death himself, voiced by the well-spoken (and non-Germanic) Roger Allam. He is looking down from above the clouds on the trials of the young protagonists. Sophie Nélisse is very impressive as the youthful heroine Liesel Meminger, who at the beginning of the film loses her beloved brother and is given up to impoverished foster parents (Emily Watson and Geoffrey Rush).

The film-making style seems disconcertingly glossy given the downbeat themes. There is picturesque imagery of steam-belching trains crossing snowy landscapes and of kids playing in the streets. We see beatific- looking children singing in school choirs even as Nazis are smashing windows and burning books in the streets nearby. The swirling John Williams score and unabashed sentimentality don't help a film that would surely have benefitted from taking a tougher approach.

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In Theaters and Digital

The book thief - movie review.

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There’s a bothersome disconnect between the story being told in The Book Thief and what we see on the screen.

Set in a small German town during the years surrounding the beginning of World War II, as Hitler’s villainous reign of control for hearts and minds is ramping up, the film’s look is oddly stark, colorful, and impeccably manicured. Beautifully assembled set pieces and characters donning perfectly tailored period costumes lend the set designs a schmaltzy, theme park presence – as if plopped smack-dab between Disney World’s Adventureland and Main Street, USA.

Counter that to The Book Thief ’s story, adapted by Brian Percival from Markus Zusak’s best-selling 2005 novel of the same name which goes for a dark and menacing doom. Well, as dark and menacing as allowed with a PG-13 rating.

The two pieces repel like oil and water, leaving us with a syrupy, surface-level product that fails to strike a significant chord with tweens, adults, military historians, and especially Oscar voters who are being courted by the film’s rush from a 2014 release to this year’s Oscar season.

The book thief of the title is a spirited and courageous little girl named Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) who is brought from the German countryside to live with her new adoptive parents. Why or how this adoption was arranged isn’t made exactly clear, but we eventually figure out that she and her young brother were taken from their communist mother who was persecuted by the Nazis and forced to surrender the children to the state-mandated care of Rosa (Emily Watson) and Hans (Geoffrey Rush) Hubermann.

Teased at school because of her inability to read, and timid around the new family she’s just met, Liesel struggles to fit in, but the determined child discovers the wonder of books when she’s taught to read by her kindhearted “Papa” who, along with Liesel, keeps a secret dictionary of newly learned words on the chalkboard in their home’s musty basement.

Also stowed away in the cellar is a hidden Jewish guest named Max (Ben Schnetzer) who shares Liesel’s passion for books and encourages the little girl to expand her powers of observation, even as he avoids the prying eyes of the Nazi SS. Equally life-changing is Liesel’s newfound friendship with a young neighbor boy named Rudy (Nico Liersch) who harbors a secret crush on the girl he nicknames “The Book Thief” because of her penchant for “borrowing” books from the burgomaster’s home.

Young Sophie Nélisse is wonderful as the wide-eyed Liesel. In fact, director Brian Percival manages to get the most from his entire cast in spite of Michael Petroni’s neutered script. Rush warms Liesel’s heart – and ours – as the happy-go-lucky Hans, and Watson gives her character a well-developed arc from prickly Hausefrau to protective mother as the authorities – in addition to the allies – close in. But it’s all inconsequential lip service to a plot that fails to transfer any of the gusto from the pages of Zusack’s rich novel about finding beauty in even the ugliest of circumstances. Hitler’s Henchmen aren’t really scary (although their uniforms sure are pretty) and the danger never feels real. Harboring Jews could have meant your life back then, and stealing books from the local authorities would certainly bring down a heap of trouble as well, but even as the war rages on, its consequences, and the talk about it, remain simplistic.

On the positive side of the ledger is the refreshingly atypical view we get of the onset of war through the eyes of regular German folk. Though the debate about the degree of complicity and collusion of the average German citizen to the Nazi cause won’t be solved here, it’s nice to see the other side of the discussion for once.[/tab]

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Synopsis : Based on the beloved bestselling book, The Book Thief tells the inspirational story of a spirited and courageous young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a new family in World War II Germany.[/tab]

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FILM REVIEWS

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THE BOOK THIEF

Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Sophie Nelisse, Ben Schnetzer, Nico Liersch, Roger Allam, Barbara Auer, Oliver Stokowski Screenplay by Michael Petroni Produced by Karen Rosenfelt and Ken Blancato Directed by Brian Percival Director of Photography: Florian Ballhaus Production Design by Simon Elliott Edited by John Wilson Music by John Williams

The prestige, or quality, film season is in high gear, as another film that qualifies as one of the best of the year, the moving, beautifully crafted, emotional and deeply intelligent “The Book Thief,” based on the hugely-popular book of the same name, opens today, Friday, Nov. 15. “The Book Thief” is a great, insightful and provocative instantly-classic film, full of important messages, themes and life lessons, and an overall insightful and thoughtful film about the horrors of war; the terrors of religious and racial hatred and ignorance; the everlasting importance of family, friendship, relationships and love; and the educational, cultural, social and spiritual wonders of books, words and the written word in any form. Released close on the heels of the equally emotional, thoughtful and intelligent “About Time” and “12 Years a Slave,” and the well-reviewed “All is Lost” and “Nebraska,” finally, after the summer of doom, moviegoers have several quality films to see in the theaters—and more are on the way as the holiday season approaches.

The novel “The Book Thief,” written by Australian author Markus Zusak, was released in Australia in 2005 and the rest of the world in 2006—and the novel became an instant sensation and phenomenon. The book sold 8 million copies, was on The New York Times bestseller list for nearly seven years—you read that right—and was translated into more than 30 languages. The book also won more than a dozen literary awards.

So director Brian Percival, who dazzled the world himself with his work on “Downtown Abbey, screenwriter Michael Petroni (“The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” but don’t hold that against him now), and producers Karen Rosenfelt and Ken Blancato—like thousands of other filmmakers before them faced with turning a wildly-popular internationally successful book into a film that would succeed on its filmic merits and be respectful to the book and its legion of fans—faced a quite formidable task in making “The Book Thief.” However, all such concerns can be put aside, as this group of talented, dedicated filmmakers, apparently working closely with Zusak, or at least Zusak’s over-riding vision, intent and messages, have indeed crafted an excellent film that immediately stands as a film highly-recommended for all ages (despite some unsettling, but non-graphic, Nazi Germany war violence) and all times. “The Book Thief” stands proudly as a quality film that teaches numerous lessons that never grow old or tired or clichéd.

There simply can never be enough films—or books or television shows or songs or newspaper and magazine articles–about religious, racial and demographic hatred, bigotry, ignorance and intolerance or the horrors of war and nationalistic violence. That has been proven quite well in recent years, as several of the better films of the past couple of years have shown—including, but not limited to, “The Blind Side,” “Lincoln,” “42,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “12 Years a Slave” and now “The Book Thief.” And there can never be enough films about the everlasting importance of family, friends, relationships and love, as “About Time” and “The Book Thief” so clearly, and beautifully, demonstrate. These themes and messages and lessons—when written, directed, produced and acted in a highly-intelligent manner and in a unique, original presentation–can appear to be teaching something new, although those themes and lessons are universal and ageless and are actually as well-worn and familiar as time itself.

There also cannot be enough films about religious and racial intolerance considering the times we are living in right now—in 2013. With the scary, psycho recent rise, and subsequent downfall, of racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, anti-minority, anti-gay fanatical far-right “tea party” Republicans who have expressed redneck, cracker hateful speech and thoughts in public and in private, and with constant reports in recent years about the increase of dangerously psycho, militaristic and ignorant white-supremacist hate groups—here in the United States and elsewhere—bigotry and prejudice remain today as relevant, important issues to deal with in all open, and hidden, corners of society.

“The Book Thief” tells the touching story of the beautiful, thoughtful and instantly lovable Liesel (brilliantly played by the young Sophie Nelisse, who will steal your heart from the start), a girl of about 11 or 12 living in the increasingly fascist, violent, ignorant, dehumanizing and dangerous Nazi Germany of the late 1930s and early 1940s. She is sent to live with foster parents, unable to read, traumatized at first by the recent death of her younger brother, and naturally and normally wary, somewhat frightened and scared of her new surroundings, her new school—and her new foster parents, brilliantly, expertly and intricately played by the wonderfully talented Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson. Rush’s sympathetic, childlike and instantly-likable and lovable Hans Hubermann is a man who understands the complex layers of life and people—and children—and he takes an instant liking to Liesel, who deep down is an equally likeable and lovable, smart, clever and resourceful girl. Watson’s detailed, intricate and multi-layered portrayal of the even more complex foster mother, Rosa Hubermann, is one of those performances that filmgoers—and especially actors and directors–will think about, ponder, evaluate and analyze for ages. Watson’s emotional range, her varying moods, her difficult but still-loving relationship with Hans and Liesel and her overall troubled station in a difficult life in a difficult time, is portrayed so impressively and intelligently, her performance is just simply an instant lesson in the difficulties and complexities of portraying a character that is not black or white or gray or easily definable. The character is difficult, and Watson buries herself so deeply inside Rosa, it’s a performance to remember when the awards season kicks in—her performance is just that excellent.

Of course, Geoffrey Rush, one of the classic actors of our time and a man who shines in such a tender and warm-hearted manner in every performance, you just want to hug him (well, maybe not his slimy, gooey, ghastly ghost pirate in the “Pirates” films), is so loveable in this film, filmgoers will wish that they were being sent to stay with Hans Hubermann, a painter by trade, in his down-home, comfortable and inviting little home in his little German town. He tells jokes, he has an easygoing manner, he smiles more than he frowns, he gives you little knowing winks, he performs little magic tricks, he finds the bright side in things, he plays the accordion—he’s just purely lovable. Rosa, however, although she clearly loves Hans, has an up-and-down relationship with her husband, is strict, plays strictly by the rules and rules her home in an initially rigid, somewhat cold manner when Liesel first arrives. But first impressions can be difficult for most people. One of the many joys of this film is watching Rosa’s developing love and affection for Liesel as time goes by—and watching Rosa’s deepening appreciation for the many wonders that reside in the heart of her husband. Watching Rosa change from the rigid taskmaster of the early scenes to the warmhearted, caring and understanding true mother and wife of the latter scenes—and watching Watson tackle and succeed in this difficult portrayal—is just touching on every level.

But that’s just Rosa. The film is, of course, all about Liesel and her life-altering, life-learning development and transformation.

Hans sees early that Liesel is a booklover, a word-lover, a reader and student of ideas and thoughts and words. He immediately makes it a mission to not only get Liesel to read, but to understand the importance of books and words and expressing oneself through the written word. In the basement of their small house, Hans creates a beautiful dictionary of words on the basement walls, having Liesel write down new words that she learns on the walls with bright white chalk. It is a beautiful visual, one of many that act as a potent symbol of the film’s many messages. As they explore the world of books and words, their relationship as father and daughter deepens. And, horrifically, terrifyingly and brutally, the violent, ugly world of Nazi Germany explodes around this burgeoning family—and part of that fascist world is the burning of books, in public. These acts of book-burning are obviously stark contrasts to Liesel’s growing love of books and reading. There is also growing suppression of any free expression that goes against the Nazi party line and the militaristic government line—and that is yet another stark contrast to the world of ideas and free expressions written in the many books that Liesel starts to read. And, of course, the rounding-up, killing, beating and murdering of Jews, homosexuals, Christians, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others by the psycho Nazis also increases—yet another dark contrast to Liesel’s otherwise bright little world.

The contrast between Liesel’s growing love of books and love of her family, as well as the growing platonic love between she and Max, a Jewish man that the Hubermanns edgily and dangerously hide in their house and Liesel’s growing love (more puppy crush, pre-teen love) of an equally lovable schoolboy who befriends her from the first day that she arrives in town, Rudy (Nico Liersch), and the growing violence and war around all of them is expertly chronicled and handled by Zusak, Petroni and Percival. All writers and the director must be given credit for their handling of the difficult contrasts and layers of this inventive war-time story. They are able to present a story that, in less expert hands, could have been clichéd or overly familiar, but instead is, as noted, inventive, original and unique.

One tantalizing technique used in “The Book Thief” that is one of many filmic aspects that makes the film original is a unique narrative device that will not be revealed here—but you will experience this device early in the film. The importance, relevance and meaning of the respective device will become clearer and clearer as the film progresses. Again, this narrative device is just one of many filmic aspects that contribute to the film’s originality.

One aspect of the movie that obviously contributes to the film’s overall quality is the simple brilliance of Sophie Nelisse’s performance as Liesel. Filmgoers may expect expert, master-class performances like the ones delivered her by Rush and Watson and other veteran supporting actors in the film, but to experience the breakthrough, exhilarating performance of a child actor in a deep film who is expertly expressing myriad deep thoughts, emotions and thoughts, is just a revelation. The same kudos go out to Liersch, whose timid, touching portrayal of Nico—who cannot hide his love of Liesel but remains respectful and kind to this intriguing girl—expresses a similar range of emotions that impresses from the start. And Ben Schnetzer, the young, college-age actor who is also somewhat of a newcomer to big-budget films, plays the frightened, confused Max—who must spend much of the film hiding in the upstairs or basement of the small Hubermann house, sickly and just wanting to be out in the world—and he also shines in a moving portrait of a troubled young man, awakened to new hope by the lovable girl who takes a sisterly affection toward him. To see a trio of young actors just shining in intelligently-written, deeply-moving, period character portrayals in “The Book Thief” is just a constant joy throughout the film. Credit must be given to Percival for directing these actors in such moving, complex performances.

As Liesel developers her bond with Hans and Rita and Max and Nico, she also develops her growing bond with books, reading and words. Max teaches her how to express herself beyond just simple, easy words. Hans and Rita help her with her reading and education. And Nico helps Liesel obtain the books she devours—how Liesel obtains the books that prompt Nico to dub her “the book thief” won’t be revealed here. But how Liesel obtains her books is interesting and enjoyable.

But as is the case in life, often, the deepening dark sides of life’s many conflicting realities soon cover the comfortable little world of Liesel’s street and town like so many dark clouds. The Nazi oppression, hatred and violence and the increasingly dangerous war and bombings increase in violence and intensity. Soon, everyone’s life is turned upsidedown, and how Liesel and her friends and family deal with this horribly changing world is another revelation of the film, for the various townspeople react in heroic, dignified, heartfelt ways, and they learn to rely on each other and love each other. Various scenes showing how Liesel, Hans, Rita, Max, Nico and other townspeople deal with bombing raids, Nazi violence and other indignities are beautifully portrayed, showing the inherent goodness and heroism that people can muster amid the very worst of violence and hatred.

Indeed, as Zusak has stated himself, this is one of the many themes of the book and film of “The Book Thief.”

“It was a time of extreme danger and evil and I was inspired by the acts of kindness during these very dark times,” Zusak says in interviews with the studio that produced the film. “That’s what ‘The Book Thief’ is about: finding beauty in even the ugliest of circumstances. One of the central themes of the story is that Hitler is destroying people with his words, and Liesel is stealing back the words, and she’s writing her own story with them.”

Liesel’s story is a tale of courage, strength, endurance, hope–and love. As the story unfolds, we see Liesel struggle and persevere through literally the very worst of times. One can only be encouraged, fortified, heartened and emboldened by her toughness, bravery and endurance.

“The German people were being told what to feel, what to think, and what to read,” says Rosenfelt, the producer. “In spite of these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Liesel, by learning to read, is empowered to be creative, think on her own, and not parrot the ideas of others.”

Such smart, intelligent, insightful words. It’s little wonder that writers and filmmakers who can express such intelligent thoughts have produced such a smart, intelligent and insightful film. A film that teaches everyone important life lessons for the ages.

“Never forget” is an adage used to remind people to never forget the horrors, and the subsequent lessons, of the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of 6 million innocent Jews and millions of other innocent people. And “The Book Thief” helps us all to never forget, and one cannot give any greater praise to a film than that extraordinary accomplishment. Everyone should see “The Book Thief”–so everyone will never forget.

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THE BOOK THIEF

"steals the heart".

What You Need To Know:

(CC, BB, CoCo, HH, AB, Pa, VV, M) Strong Christian, moral worldview includes elements of love and self-sacrifice, funeral scene with a priest praying, one quick prayer from girl’s adoptive father, and narrated by the voice of Death, who gives a vaguely biblical reference at the end, plus elements of love marred by stealing as a major plot device, pro-Communism, pro-humanism, racism, and propaganda claiming a difference between one form of socialism and another; some swearing in German that is not translated; violence includes adoptive mother disciplines a little girl, National Socialist thugs bash windows of Jewish shop owners, men and women kicked and brutalized by soldiers, girl beats up boy, boy beats another boy, two boys die, brutality, air raid bombs explode, and dead bodies recovered afterward; kissing and hugging; partial upper male nudity when boy takes a bath; no alcohol; no smoking or drug use; and, the vicissitudes of war, including falsified documents and scrounging for possessions.

More Detail:

Based on the New York Times best seller, THE BOOK THIEF is a wonderful work that follows the story of one young girl and her search for home, family and belonging. Set in National Socialist Germany, this is a small story that tugs at the heart. Her mother’s communist leanings in Nazi Germany brings her to the foster care system on the eve of World War II. Yet, wherever our young heroine goes, she blazes a trail transforming the lives of countless people. A story of adoption and a demonstration of Christian values, THE BOOK THIEF is a compelling movie that shows what love looks like in the midst of extraordinary hardship.

The story opens in 1938 on a train headed for Munich. Liesel watches her younger brother Warner who has quietly just died in his sleep. At a makeshift burial beside the railroad tracks, a gravedigger puts the finishing touches on the grave and inadvertently drops a book to the ground. Thinking the book belonged to her brother, Liesel quickly snatches it and runs.

The female German social worker brings Liesel to the home of Hans and Rosa Huberman (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson). The couple had agreed to foster two children for a monetary allowance. The 11-year-old Liesel, still reeling from her brother’s death, stands in front of the Huberman’s home on “Heaven” Street.

Liesel clutches her book. The cold atmosphere of the strangers’ home is quickly melted by the delightfully warm Hans. Insisting on being called Papa, he discovers Liesel cannot read and decides to teach her. A simple sign painter, he struggles to put food on the table amidst economic hardship. Refusing to join the Nazi party continues to put what little work he has at risk. Tensions are growing throughout town.

A young boy named Rudy befriends Liesel. She, in turn, defends Rudy from the town bully. Rudy and Liesel are soul mates.

After a National Socialist book burning, Liesel rescues a copy of THE INVISIBLE MAN by H.G. Wells. Smoking but not yet consumed. The wealthy burgomaster’s wife witnesses the act but says nothing.

Meanwhile, a sickly Jewish man, Max, running from the Gestapo arrives on the adoptive parents’ doorstep. Max’s father died to save Hans in World War One. Hans promised he would always be there for Max’s family, so they shelter him even though it puts them at risk of death themselves. Rosa’s overburdened and thunderous demeanor gives way to a deeply caring woman. She asks Liesel to take a basketful of laundry to the Burgomeister or mayor of the village. The Burgomeister’s wife recognizes Liesel and invites her to use the exquisite library.

Eventually, Max decides to leave so Liesel’s foster parents won’t get into trouble, but the father, Hans, is conscripted into the German army. This leaves Liesel and Rosa to fend for themselves. As the struggle to survive the war continues, Liesel gives hope to some of the people by reading from her beloved books and telling fabulous stories.

The story of this little girl who transformed and touched so many lives is wrapped up by the voice of a Narrator, the voice of the Angel of Death. Echoing Scripture, “even angels long to look into these things,” the Angel confesses “I am haunted by humans.” Even so, the Angel of Death never mentions salvation, Jesus Christ or any aspect of the one true Triune God.

Based on the New York Times best seller, THE BOOK THIEF is wonderfully directed by Brian Percival of DOWNTON ABBEY. The performances are delightful and heartwarming, despite the difficult circumstances. THE BOOK THIEF tells a positive Christian, moral tale of adoption and self-sacrifice.

Regrettably the movie is pro-Communist in parts and deceptively uses the old Communist ploy of distinguishing between National Socialism and International socialism. Also, the act of stealing is treated as a joke.

Rated PG-13, there some swearing in German that is not fully translated and violence includes adoptive mother disciplines a little girl, National Socialist thugs bash windows of Jewish shop owners, men and women kicked and brutalized by soldiers, girl beats up boy, boy beats another boy, two boys die, brutality, air raid bombs explode, and dead bodies recovered afterward. THE BOOK THIEF does deal with some serious subject matter.

Even so, THE BOOK THIEF shows Christian love and compassion. It merits caution.

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REVIEW: “The Book Thief”

Add this to the ever growing list of movies based on popular books that I’ve never read. “The Book Thief” was a popular novel released in 2006 by Australian author Markus Zusak. At least that’s what I’m told. I obviously had not read it or even heard of it until the new film adaptation hit theaters. I have to say the trailer instantly grabbed me. I’m naturally drawn to movies about World War 2, the Holocaust, or the people affected by them. So even with the film’s small amount of press and lukewarm reviews I was still anxious to see it.

Let’s not beat around the bush. I loved “The Book Thief”. Even further, I’m really surprised at some of the criticisms that have been thrown its way. Some I simply don’t agree with while others feel terribly unjust. It’s true that the movie doesn’t delve deep into the horrors of its setting. And it’s also true that it has its share of melodrama. But I never felt this film needed to be more graphic or detailed and melodrama in itself isn’t a bad thing. For me “The Book Thief” was a sweet, tender, and moving story. Yes those adjectives tend to be overused, but for me they fit this movie perfectly.

Oddly enough Death is the narrator. ‘He’ sets up the story by introducing us to a young girl named Liesel (Sophie Nélisse). She and her younger brother are being taken by their mother to meet their new foster parents. But when her brother dies in route, Liesel is left alone in this new and difficult environment. Her new parents, the cold, strict Rosa (Emily Watson) and the gentle, compassionate Hans (Geoffrey Rush), live in a small German town during a tumultuous time. Naziism is gaining strength and World War 2 is nearing.

Director Brian Percival takes us along as Liesel tries to adapt to and survive in her new world. There are a few people she meets who helps her along the way. Her new next-door neighbor, a young boy named Rudy (Nico Liersch), is instantly attracted to her and the two become great friends. She also encounters a Jewish man named Max Vandenburg (Ben Schnetzer), who Hans and Rosa put into hiding. But perhaps her greatest source of comfort is found in her newly discovered love for books. Through books she grows closer to her new father, she learns the ways of the new world, and she learns a way to express herself that she had never known before. Throughout the film many things in Liesel’s life changes. Her love for books isn’t one of them.

“The Book Thief” moves slow and deliberate but I never had a problem with it. I found myself glued to the story and the characters particularly young Liesel. Canadian actress Sophie Nélisse is asked to carry much of the load and she is certainly up to the task. The 13-year old gives a mesmerizing performance. She captures the childlike innocence and playfulness while never falling under the weight of the heavier emotional scenes. It was also amazing to see the way she handled a German accent. She really blew me away. Then there is the brilliance of Emily Watson and Geoffrey Rush. Both are perfectly cast and hit every note just right. In fact Rush deserves some serious Oscar consideration for this performance.

But this is also a beautiful movie made so by Florian Ballhaus’ fine cinematography, some wonderful costume and set designs, and a lovely score by John Williams. There are several camera shots or visual moments that are still etched in my mind. The film is striking as it visualizes several uncomfortable events including a nighttime book burning, a home-by-home search for Jews, and people scrambling for bomb shelters as air raid sirens eerily scream in the background. And it’s made even more effective by the fact that it’s all seen through young Liesel’s eyes.

I love it when a film grabs me and pulls me into its world. That’s exactly what happened with “The Book Thief”. For two hours I was a resident on that small town German street. I cared about the characters, laughed with them, and was pierced by the tragedies they endured. It may be too dry for some people, too tame for others, and perhaps it is just a tad too long. I still had an incredible experience. A stirring story, some beautiful direction, some of the year’s best performances, and a near perfect ending all contribute to this being one of my favorite films of 2013.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Share this:, 19 thoughts on “ review: “the book thief” ”.

Just left the theater after seeing this one. For the most part, I agree. It is much better than the mixed reviews would suggest.

That said, I don’t think it quite as good as you. I think it severely rushes the final act and also under explains Death’s fascination with Liesel.

All in all, it is very good, though.

Thanks for reading. I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. As for death’s fascination, I loved the way that was addressed. Basically death has no reason, no bias, and no preference. On the other hand Liesel was fascinating because she experienced death all of her life, and the worst forms of it. Yet despite it all she maintained an incredible spirit. I think that’s what was so fascinating to death.

Really pleasantly surprised by your review Keith. I’d only read slightly negative reviews of this and I was a bit disappointed as I really liked the book, but good to see that you enjoyed i.

Oh I absolutely loved it. I certainly don’t discount some of the reviews. But others have been extremely unfair and it’s really baffling. Hope you have a chance to see it.

The book is great and the translation to film is good. I thought the film was wonderful and appreciate your review. It’s a YA story, so unlike say ‘The Boy in the Striped PJs’, which leaves you utterly depressed, in this film, Liesel trumps death. It’s awesome to see a female protagonist so strong.

She was such a fascinating character. Such sure circumstances yet such a strong will. And what great performances. I absolutely loved the film and can’t wait to see it again.

Glad to see that you enjoyed this! I look forward to seeing it. I read the book years ago and loved it.

Hope you can see it soon. It is really, really good. Some of taken issue with certain elements of it but I found it to be very effective.

Great review! I also have been intrigued by the trailer. A film I’m definitely going to watch.

Thanks! It hasn’t received much attention and many critics haven’t treated it kindly. That’s a real shame because I think it’s fantastic. Hope you like it as much.

I am really interested to see this because I loved the book.

It’s very good! Unfortunately its not getting much love at all.

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Nice one Keith! I wasn’t as blown away by this on initial viewing but y’know, it grew on me and I might give it another look once it’s out on DVD. I love both Emily Watson and Geoffrey Rush and their relationship w/ Nélisse’s Sophie are so lovely to watch.

Thanks Ruth. That relationship was great wasn’t it? And watching it grow was a heartfelt treat. I just loved it and I’ll be buying this one once it’s released.

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The Book Thief: Book & Movie Review + Quotes, Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, first published in 2005, has gone on to become an international bestseller and a modern classic. We explain why, discuss the movie adaptation of this novel and share some memorable book quotes. Read on for our comprehensive review.

The Book Thief Book Summary

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Book Cover - Death in snow

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger and her younger brother are being taken by their mother to live with a foster family outside Munich. Liesel’s father was taken away on the breath of a single, unfamiliar word – Kommunist – and Liesel sees the fear of a similar fate in her mother’s eyes. On the journey, Death visits the young boy, and notices Liesel. It will be the first of many near encounters. By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery.

So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jewish fist-fighter in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up, and closed down.

Genre: Literature, Historical, Drama, Action-Adventure

Disclosure: If you click a link in this post we may earn a small commission to help offset our running costs.

BOOK REVIEW

I had this widely acclaimed novel by Australian author Markus Zusak on my to-be-read list on my Kindle for an embarrassingly long time. Why? Probably because The Book Thief is almost 600 pages long and classified as ‘young adult’ fiction, a genre I am not normally drawn to. I had also read so many rave reviews that I must admit I was a little sceptical. Could a book about The War really be that original?

The answer is – it certainly can.

Who narrates The Book Thief?

Markus Zusak’s decision to cast Death as the narrator was an absolute master-stroke. But Zusak’s Death is not the one-dimensional character we are used to. This Death has a heart and an ironic sense of humour. In my humble opinion, an author that can make his audience feel empathy for Death has a special talent.

‘Where are my manners? I could introduce myself properly, but it’s not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables. It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms. A colour will be perched on my shoulder. I will carry you gently away.’

Compelling themes

The Book Thief takes place in Munich, Germany on the eve of and then during WWII, and Markus Zusak presents the very human side of war, the strength of individuals and the many complex reasons for their actions.

I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sandcastles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin. Their great skill is their capacity to escalate.

This important message is conveyed in a format, that anyone, the young or the old of any culture cannot help but identify with and feel empathy for – the plight of a child.

Memorable characters

That child is Leisel Meminger – a damaged but strong-willed and immensely likeable young girl that displays wisdom beyond her years. She does not judge a book, nor people, by their covers.

The true gifts in this novel that make it so difficult to put down are the special relationships Leisel develops with the wonderful ensemble cast of characters from all walks of life. Particularly charming and compelling is her close friendship with neighbour Rudy Steiner and the various acts of mischief they get up to while the threat of war and societal discord builds around them.

With this tale Markus Zusak reminds us of the extraordinary power of the written word – that books of themselves are so much more than paper and glue.

It didn’t really matter what the book was about. It was what it meant that was important.

The Book Thief should be required reading in schools. I certainly wish I had read it sooner. It will become, if it is not already, a modern-day classic.

BOOK RATING: The Story 5 / 5 ; The Writing 5 / 5

UPDATE: We have since also enjoyed Markus Zusak’s long-awaited new novel Bridge of Cla y .

Get your copy of The Book Thief from:

Amazon Bookshop (US) Booktopia (AU)

* Although I read this novel on Kindle, I recommend reading it in hard copy. Key elements of the story are presented in pictures which would be easier to read in that format.

Detailed plot summary, character maps, quotes and other useful study materials for this novel are available at CourseHero .

About the Author, Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak ( born 23 June 1975 ) is an Australian author specialising in the young adult genre. This, his number one international best selling novel, has been translated into more than 30 languages.

The Book Thief Movie Review

Bravo to the creators and cast of The Book Thief movie ! They have proven to me that it is possible to do a book justice in film.

Yes, the cast was generally much better looking than those I’d conjured up in my mind while reading, but that didn’t hurt 😉

Yes, since I knew when the sad parts were coming I was a blubbering mess.

And yes, for the same reasons, I could not stop myself from cataloguing what was interpreted slightly differently and what small pieces of the novel were omitted from the screenplay.

But the key thing is, whenever the movie adaption deviated slightly from the novel, I understood and appreciated why. It conveys the key themes powerfully while maintaining much of Zusak’s original artistry. If I could have tweaked one thing, I would have utilised even more of the original narrative musings from Death (some of my favourite passages in the novel).

Wonderful performances by Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson, and you couldn’t get much sweeter (and very talented) portrayals of the characters ‘Leisel’ and ‘Rudy’ by Sophie Nélisse and Nico Liersch.

The mirroring of humanity within the novel is so important (the reason I believe the novel should be required reading in schools) and so I am heartened that this movie adaptation brings that message to an even wider audience.

The Book Thief Quotes

There are so many wonderful quotes within this novel. Here are a few more of my favourites:

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” – The Book Thief

Quote - The words were on their way and she would wring them out like rain.

“The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.” – The Book Thief

Book Quote - It's hard to not like a man who not only notices the colors, but speaks them ― Markus Zusak

“A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.” – The Book Thief

Other reviews of The Book Thief

“Unsettling, thought-provoking, life-affirming, triumphant and tragic, this is a novel of breathtaking scope, masterfully told. It is an important piece of work, but also a wonderful page-turner. ” — The Guardian

“It is difficult to imagine how The Book Thief could be anything but depressing, but Zusak illuminates the novel with scenes of brilliance. Small triumphs are made all the more beautiful by his prose. Childlike play is turned into something greater, a snowball fight in the basement is more than a frigid mock battle—it’s a moment that borders on magical. Again and again, Zusak’s characters strive to see the beauty in the world, bringing shards of happiness into the darkest, dirtiest corners.” — LiteraryTraveler

“This big, expansive novel is a leisurely working out of fate, of seemingly chance encounters and events that ultimately touch, like dominoes as they collide. The writing is elegant, philosophical and moving. Even at its length, it’s a work to read slowly and savor. Beautiful and important.” — KirkusReviews

If you like the sound of The Book Thief, you may also enjoy reading: The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan / The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon / The Trouble With Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon / The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth / The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Movie Flops That Couldn’t Measure Up to Their Bestselling Book Origins

Posted: May 22, 2024 | Last updated: May 22, 2024

<p>From mind-bending thriller novellas, to sci-fi books that present a dystopian reality, to a whole new fantasy world, books are a haven from the stress of daily life. When these larger-than-life novels are adapted into movies, readers are excited to see their favorite literature come to life. However, not all movie adaptations live up to the original.</p>

From mind-bending thriller novellas, to sci-fi books that present a dystopian reality, to a whole new fantasy world, books are a haven from the stress of daily life. When these larger-than-life novels are adapted into movies, readers are excited to see their favorite literature come to life. However, not all movie adaptations live up to the original.

<p>Based on the 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card, <em>Ender’s Game</em> was released in 2013 but missed the mark entirely. The story’s plot highlights intellectually gifted children being recruited to stop an interplanetary war by leading a ginormous fleet of ships across space. However, the movie missed some of the book’s best parts, especially the average ending that added fuel to the fire.</p>

1. Ender’s Game (2013)

Based on the 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game was released in 2013 but missed the mark entirely. The story’s plot highlights intellectually gifted children being recruited to stop an interplanetary war by leading a ginormous fleet of ships across space. However, the movie missed some of the book’s best parts, especially the average ending that added fuel to the fire.

<p>With a 49% rating on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/0814255">Rotten Tomatoes</a>, the first movie in the <em>Percy Jackson</em> series just didn’t live up to the phenomenal Greek mythology book series. With such an infamous and loved book, the movie adaptation should’ve focused more on the details.</p><p>The rushed character storylines left a bitter taste in viewers’ mouths. Important cornerstones in the book were revealed early, like Luke’s deception, which weakened the plot line.</p>

2. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

With a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes , the first movie in the Percy Jackson series just didn’t live up to the phenomenal Greek mythology book series. With such an infamous and loved book, the movie adaptation should’ve focused more on the details.

The rushed character storylines left a bitter taste in viewers’ mouths. Important cornerstones in the book were revealed early, like Luke’s deception, which weakened the plot line.

<p>Markus Zusak’s war novel <em>The Book Thief</em> tells a haunting narrative from the perspective of death itself, leaving readers hooked — waiting for what’s next. However, the movie couldn’t depict the book’s essence in a way that enticed the audience. The entire thing was dragged out, and the gut-wrenching scenes did not create the same feelings as the original narrative.</p>

3. The Book Thief (2013)

Markus Zusak’s war novel The Book Thief tells a haunting narrative from the perspective of death itself, leaving readers hooked — waiting for what’s next. However, the movie couldn’t depict the book’s essence in a way that enticed the audience. The entire thing was dragged out, and the gut-wrenching scenes did not create the same feelings as the original narrative.

<p>The movie and novel are both adapted from Madeleine L’Engle’s book and made for a younger audience. However, the entire film lacked luster and got some of the worst reviews because of the sub-par rendition. The special effects weren’t able to capture the true spirit of the book, and the plot wasn’t even coherent due to everything being so cluttered and overburdened by bad actors who lack edchemistry.</p>

4. A Wrinkle In Time (2018)

The movie and novel are both adapted from Madeleine L’Engle’s book and made for a younger audience. However, the entire film lacked luster and got some of the worst reviews because of the sub-par rendition. The special effects weren’t able to capture the true spirit of the book, and the plot wasn’t even coherent due to everything being so cluttered and overburdened by bad actors who lack edchemistry.

<p>Fans waited for the release of <em>Artemis Fowl</em> for several years, so when the movie hit cinemas, they had high expectations. The general consensus is that the film itself isn’t that bad, but it’s a terrible adaptation of the original book. With the plot taking random elements from the novel, the movie doesn’t highlight the protagonist as the book does.</p>

5. Artemis Fowl (2020)

Fans waited for the release of Artemis Fowl for several years, so when the movie hit cinemas, they had high expectations. The general consensus is that the film itself isn’t that bad, but it’s a terrible adaptation of the original book. With the plot taking random elements from the novel, the movie doesn’t highlight the protagonist as the book does.

<p>For those who like to sink their teeth into suspense-filled stories, Stephen King novels hold a high place in their hearts. When the movie adaptation of his famous series came out, people weren’t impressed, and rightly so.</p><p>According to IMDb, the movie’s creators didn’t put in enough effort to capture the book’s essence, and it all seemed like low-effort cramming of a spectacular novel into a below-average film.</p>

6. The Dark Tower (2017)

For those who like to sink their teeth into suspense-filled stories, Stephen King novels hold a high place in their hearts. When the movie adaptation of his famous series came out, people weren’t impressed, and rightly so.

According to IMDb, the movie’s creators didn’t put in enough effort to capture the book’s essence, and it all seemed like low-effort cramming of a spectacular novel into a below-average film.

<p>The book is a blend of sci-fi and romance about a man with a unique disorder that causes him to travel through time and how he tries to navigate falling in love. While the movie showcased the events listed in the book, they’re simply dull and weren’t executed in a way that captured the heartfelt moments from the book.</p>

7. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

The book is a blend of sci-fi and romance about a man with a unique disorder that causes him to travel through time and how he tries to navigate falling in love. While the movie showcased the events listed in the book, they’re simply dull and weren’t executed in a way that captured the heartfelt moments from the book.

<p>In <em>The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones</em>, Clary, a seemingly ordinary girl, finds herself in the world of shadow hunters. However, with big novels like these, the movie always seems lackluster. The entire thing feels like a basic fantasy movie, with unimportant parts in the book being given more screen time rather than crucial milestones that should have been highlighted.</p>

8. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)

In The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones , Clary, a seemingly ordinary girl, finds herself in the world of shadow hunters. However, with big novels like these, the movie always seems lackluster. The entire thing feels like a basic fantasy movie, with unimportant parts in the book being given more screen time rather than crucial milestones that should have been highlighted.

<p><em>The Giver</em> is a movie rendition of Lois Lowry’s 1993 novel that paints a dystopian world where the underlying meaning is individuality in the conforming world. While the set design was spot-on, the movie’s visuals took away from the characters, who viewers felt were empty shells of what they could’ve been.</p>

9. The Giver (2014)

The Giver is a movie rendition of Lois Lowry’s 1993 novel that paints a dystopian world where the underlying meaning is individuality in the conforming world. While the set design was spot-on, the movie’s visuals took away from the characters, who viewers felt were empty shells of what they could’ve been.

<p><em>Eragon</em>’s fans hated the corny adaptation of one of their favorite books, with reason. The movie’s ending did not match the book; it poorly represented Arya, who was crucial in the novel, and the terrible acting took away from the entire plot. The budget for the movie was too low for producers to take such a popular book and turn it into something that would do it justice.</p>

10. Eragon (2006)

Eragon ’s fans hated the corny adaptation of one of their favorite books, with reason. The movie’s ending did not match the book; it poorly represented Arya, who was crucial in the novel, and the terrible acting took away from the entire plot. The budget for the movie was too low for producers to take such a popular book and turn it into something that would do it justice.

<p>With a measly 32% Rotten Tomatoes rating, <em>Love, Rosie</em> was just not it. The movie is about two best friends, separated by distance, fighting for love. However, the original book, <em>Where Rainbows End</em> by Cecelia Ahern, reads very differently than the film. The film adaptation missed out on tacky jokes and quirky one-liners that create a specific atmosphere. The end result seems soapy and predictable at best.</p>

11. Love, Rosie (2014)

With a measly 32% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Love, Rosie was just not it. The movie is about two best friends, separated by distance, fighting for love. However, the original book, Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern, reads very differently than the film. The film adaptation missed out on tacky jokes and quirky one-liners that create a specific atmosphere. The end result seems soapy and predictable at best.

<p>While <em>The Vampire Academy</em> isn’t exactly the most complex book in literature, it’s fun for people who enjoy vampire and fantasy-based storylines. The movie couldn’t do it justice because the visuals were terrible, and the acting was even worse. An hour and 40 minutes long, the film seems more like an informational documentary than an enthralling paranormal romance.</p>

12. Vampire Academy (2014)

While The Vampire Academy isn’t exactly the most complex book in literature, it’s fun for people who enjoy vampire and fantasy-based storylines. The movie couldn’t do it justice because the visuals were terrible, and the acting was even worse. An hour and 40 minutes long, the film seems more like an informational documentary than an enthralling paranormal romance.

<p>Although the movie was visually spectacular, the random plot changes left fans needing clarification about the decisions. For example, the powers of the magical children Emma and Olivia were swapped, which was entirely unnecessary and didn’t really make much sense. It caused an uproar among the fans who enjoyed the personality these powers brought to the original characters in the novel.</p>

13. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

Although the movie was visually spectacular, the random plot changes left fans needing clarification about the decisions. For example, the powers of the magical children Emma and Olivia were swapped, which was entirely unnecessary and didn’t really make much sense. It caused an uproar among the fans who enjoyed the personality these powers brought to the original characters in the novel.

<p>With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 44%, <em>The Girl on The Train</em>’s movie adaptation left fans divided. While some enjoyed the film, many quickly pointed out discrepancies from the source material. The original psychological thriller was about a woman who tries to solve a mystery after witnessing a shocking moment on the train. The adaptation didn’t hit the target when trying to capture that feeling</p>

14. The Girl On The Train (2016)

With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 44%, The Girl on The Train ’s movie adaptation left fans divided. While some enjoyed the film, many quickly pointed out discrepancies from the source material. The original psychological thriller was about a woman who tries to solve a mystery after witnessing a shocking moment on the train. The adaptation didn’t hit the target when trying to capture that feeling

<p>Even if you haven’t read the <em>Divergent</em> series, you’ve probably seen these books lined up in stores. While the earlier adaptations in the series were much better, this film didn’t live up to its predecessors. It was so bad, in fact, that the second part was scrapped completely. Many believe its hurried release contributed to the lack of a solid plot, making the movie seem like a fragmented rendition of the original novels.</p>

15. Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016)

Even if you haven’t read the Divergent series, you’ve probably seen these books lined up in stores. While the earlier adaptations in the series were much better, this film didn’t live up to its predecessors. It was so bad, in fact, that the second part was scrapped completely. Many believe its hurried release contributed to the lack of a solid plot, making the movie seem like a fragmented rendition of the original novels.

<p>There’s a famous saying: never judge a book by its cover. The same can be said for movies. Despite looking bland and generic, these 17 films are better than they have any right to be.</p>

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Book Reviews

A 19th-century bookbinder struggles with race and identity in 'the library thief'.

Keishel Williams

The examination of race and identity can be seen throughout literature, and increasingly today.

In her debut novel, The Library Thief , Kuchenga Shenjé explores these concepts — and the associated expectations that arise when society demands that every group be neatly categorized. Shenjé delves into the past in this work of historical fiction, posing inquiries about Black people's lives in the Victorian era.

In this 19th-century English story, Florence, an ambitious bookbinder, is expelled from her family home by her harsh and unforgiving father for being with a young man. Florence, a clever and savvy woman, persuades Lord Francis Belfield to let her stay at Rose Hall manor by promising to restore the priceless books in his library in time for an impending sale, assuring him that she is just as skilled as her father. Among Lord Belfield's minimal staff, Florence stands out as an educated, liberal woman.

But Florence is not as polished as she wants her new acquaintances to believe. Being raised by a single father and not knowing her mother, whom she was told is dead, has fostered an emptiness in Florence she thought she could fill with books. She's adrift and feels unloved. This fragile foundation is fertile ground for the harrowing experiences Florence faces during her stay at the manor.

Florence arrives at Rose Hall to find that Lord Banfeild's wife has died, and the new widower is beside himself with grief. Immediately, Florence finds herself in the middle of a tightly woven plot of family secrets and lies that conveniently shroud the lives of the upper class. She becomes fixated on Lady Persephone's death and starts investigating suspicious activities around it. During her investigation, she uncovers some dark Banfield family secrets, which include violence, abuse, and "passing" family members. This journey of discovery forces Florence to confront her own identity and the mysteries surrounding her life.

Some characters in this novel intentionally or unintentionally pass as white because they find it easier than living as a Black person in Victorian England. While the topic of "passing" is frequently explored in literature set in the 1920s and 30s, Shenjé delves into what it means to be a Black person passing in the 19th century. She explores this theme in multiple ways: One character completely abandons their family to live as a white man, another maintains contact with her family but uses her husband's wealth and influence to hide in plain sight, and the third, and perhaps most intriguing, character lives as a white person without knowing they were actually Black.

Florence is uncertain about her own race, and she passionately advocates for the rights of Black people. She often becomes offended by the viewpoints of her friends, neighbors, and even their pastor towards Black people. Florence grew up in a white community and had limited interactions with Black people, other than through books until she met Lady Persephone's lady's maid — a beautiful, charming, and highly educated Black woman. "How could a whole sector of humanity once viewed as animals now be writing books and teaching universities and the like? We had been lied to," she says after a particularly awful sermon propagating the inferiority of African people.

At times, Shenjé's use of language attempting at inclusivity fails to achieve what appears to be the intended effect. The discussion of gender roles in a highly complex way seems forced and unrealistic. This is especially so when such language and philosophizing are attributed to certain characters in particular.

While The Library Thief doesn't exactly break new ground when it comes to exploring issues of race and identity, it does have some entertaining elements. Wesley is a standout character who should have received more attention. If a movie adaptation of the character were ever to happen, Patrick Walshe McBride would be an excellent choice to play the part. Shenjé also did an fantastic job planting hints throughout the story that lead to the main character's true identity. The best part of the book is the unexpected twist at the end that ties up the murder mystery. Kudos to Shenjé for that surprise ending.

Keishel Williams is a Trinidadian American book reviewer, arts & culture writer, and editor.

The Thief Collector Review: A Fascinating Story Weighed Down by Speculation

This art heist documentary featuring Glenn Howerton has a great narrative at its core but takes its guesswork too far.

In an age of increasingly exploitative and gruesome true crime , The Thief Collector stands as a kind of antidote. Rather than detailing murder victims’ trauma for the masses, this crime documentary turns toward an art heist. Willem de Kooning was one of the most exciting American artists of the 20th Century, working among peers such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. In 1985, his painting, “Woman-Ochre,” was stolen from the University of Arizona Museum of Art; it was simply cut from its frame and taken away. Despite an investigation by the FBI, the painting couldn't be found as it wasn’t sold or displayed anywhere else.

After 35 years, “Woman-Ochre” was finally discovered at the estate sale of Rita and Jerry Alter, ostensibly (a frequently used word in the documentary) an unassuming couple in New Mexico. Director Allison Otto pieces together how and why this strange series of events came to be with the help of interviewees including an FBI team member, the people who discovered the painting, relatives of the Alters, and more. The narrative is given some color by hammed-up reenactments starring Glenn Howerton of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame and Sarah Minnich as Jerry and Rita.

Evidently, The Thief Collector has a great tale on its hands, and it backs this up with some creative storytelling choices. However, when the filmmakers go beyond fact-based discussion and into speculative territory, the documentary loses its way and its credibility.

A Set of Compelling Components

The Thief Collector works best when it’s recounting things we can be certain are true. Its description of how the art heist played out, and the subsequent discovery, is fascinating, and it’s a story unlike what we typically see. The interviewees are all excellent and confident speakers, so they are easy to trust and follow.

What’s key here is that their enthusiasm is conveyed well to the point that it carries through to the viewer. Even if a member of the audience isn’t well versed in art, or Willem de Kooning specifically, it’s still made clear how important this multi-million dollar painting is. Sometimes, documentaries are only interesting to those who are already invested in the subject, but there is enough combined passion and explanation that anyone can follow and care about this story.

Aside from the heist itself , one of the most gripping parts of the documentary is when we get to learn about Rita and Jerry themselves. Since the two had already passed away, their portrait is composed of their own photos and descriptions from people who knew them, such as family members and former students. While their lifestyle was largely simple (they were both teachers), what stands out is the amount of travel they did.

We are told that they wouldn’t take the usual week-long trips to the beach; they would stay in remote places for a month at a time, seeking out thrilling and even dangerous activities wherever they could. Their home photos and footage are fascinating to see and reminiscent of the recent Fire of Love , a similarly romantic documentary in this way. Rita and Jerry’s outward-facing personas were dedicated to each other, adventurous, and charismatic — it’s impossible not to be enthralled.

One of the most unique elements of The Thief Collector is its reenactments . Of course, these are common in documentaries in order to provide visual reference points for key events and to break up the interview format. But these can often feel poorly made and distract from an otherwise serious documentary. Here, the filmmakers lean into the contrived nature of these reenactments and aim for comedy instead of realism. Complete with obvious green screen use and a variety of fake mustaches, these reenactments stand out from the crowd. Choices like this show a clarity of vision and decisiveness from the filmmakers that is commendable.

Related: The Art of Documentary Podcast Is Interviewing Some of Today's Most Fascinating Filmmakers

Lack of Evidence Raises Concerns

Descriptions of the crime itself and Rita and Jerry as people take us about halfway through the 96-minute runtime, and this is where the documentary starts to go off the rails. With no more fact-based information about the couple to discuss, the narrative delves into speculation. It asks why a couple that seems so normal would do something so terrible and wonders what other crimes they must have committed. But with a shaky foundation and a lack of evidence to defend their extrapolations, it’s hard to go along with these moments of supposed revelation.

The narrative that we are given invites us to be shocked that school teachers who were beloved by their family and former students could do something like this, but this doesn’t align with the actual portrait that is painted of Rita and Jerry. Their house is filled with art, so that is evidently something of interest to them; they were described by their travel agent as “adrenaline junkies,” and the crime itself was simple: they walked in, distracted the guard, and took the painting. When you lay out the facts like this, it’s incredibly easy to believe that this was something they could do. While art theft, of course, isn’t a victimless crime, no one was physically harmed. It was a selfish act rather than a malicious one, and they didn’t have to resort to violence to achieve it.

So, when the documentary asks us to go along with its speculation, it’s difficult to join in when the facts we had just been shown contradict the following guesswork. Since the topic of an art heist is somewhat tame in comparison with the majority of true crime documentaries, it seems as though they are going for shock factor in order to compete, but the story just isn’t there. Documentaries such as Three Identical Strangers have gone down the stranger-than-fiction route successfully because they have truly shocking events to portray. When this works, the documentary can even feel more like a narrative feature . But The Thief Collector ’s story is more interesting than mind-blowing, and it would have been more successful if it had simply leaned into its strengths: a good story and an interesting central pair.

While the interviews chosen for the movie are excellently done, there is a gap where it would’ve been helpful to have a more authoritative voice on Rita and Jerry’s real selves. If there had been someone interviewed who really knew them, rather than relatives who rarely saw them and casual friends, there would have been less of a need for conjecture. Rita and Jerry’s children, a son and a daughter, are mentioned briefly in the documentary. We are told that there were very few pictures of the children in their home in comparison to pictures of themselves and that their son has “issues” and is unable to work. Hearing more about their relationship with their children, or even hearing from the children themselves, could have filled this gap.

Related: 9 Documentaries That Are Better Than the Movies About the Same Topic

Unbalanced Tone Topples Second Half

This attempt at forcing a sense of darkness on the narrative of the documentary is what makes the aforementioned campy reenactments sit at odds with the latter half of the movie. These scenes are light and fun and very deliberately positioning themselves to not be taken too seriously. So when we are invited to believe that Rita and Jerry are more sinister than they first appeared, we are still being shown these over-the-top depictions of their behavior and this makes it even harder to follow the trajectory of the documentary. There is a fatal mismatch of tone here.

In the end, the filmmakers approached this from the wrong angle, misunderstanding the material that they had. It’s clear from the direction of this story and the way that it has been promoted that they were aiming for audiences to be shocked and amazed by their findings, but the reality is that they didn’t truly find much.

This strategy comes at the cost of what was under their noses: an intriguing couple full of character who, in all likelihood, succeeded in stealing a multi-million dollar painting. This alone was enough for a great, entertaining documentary. But unfortunately, at best, what they ended up with is an interesting exploration of events both real and theorized. At worst, it’s unfair — bordering on dangerous — speculation about individuals who aren’t around to defend themselves.

From FilmRise, The Thief Collector will be released on demand on May 19th.

COMMENTS

The Book Thief movie review & film summary (2013)
Our heroine's bookishness, meanwhile, is mainly a source of bemusement to Rudy (Nico Liersh), the flaxen-haired neighbor boy who befriends and dotes on her. In a different, more reality-based movie, their relationship would be a coming-of-age romance. But though the characters here age from 13 to 17 during the story, at the end they look ...
The Book Thief
Rated: 4.5/5 Aug 19, 2022 Full Review Mark Jackson Epoch Times The Book Thief mixes British actors using German accents, a few German actors, and the occasional German word, creating a playfully ...
The Book Thief Movie Review
The movie, as with the book, has positive messages. Positive Role Models. Liesel is curious, kind, and willing to work hard. Violence & Scariness. The violence ranges from the deaths of various cha. Sex, Romance & Nudity. Rudy repeatedly asks for a kiss, and by the end of. Language.
The Book Thief (2013)
The Book Thief: Directed by Brian Percival. With Roger Allam, Sophie Nélisse, Heike Makatsch, Julian Lehmann. While subjected to the horrors of World War II Germany, young Liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. In the basement of her home, a Jewish refugee is being protected by her adoptive parents.
The Book Thief (2013)
The cinematography, editing, and script are all excellent as well. In short, The Book Thief is the kind of film you could show your children as a way to first begin a discussion of World War II and the Holocaust, but it never takes shortcuts from darker subject matter to reach this role. An excellent movie. 6/10.
The Book Thief
Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 19, 2022. The Book Thief mixes British actors using German accents, a few German actors, and the occasional German word, creating a playfully successful ...
'Book Thief' movie review
Nico Liersch plays Liesel's friend. (Jules Heath/AP) "The Book Thief" has its moments of brilliance, thanks in large part to an adept cast. But the movie about a girl adopted by a German couple ...
'The Book Thief,' World War II Tale With Geoffrey Rush
The Book Thief. Directed by Brian Percival. Drama, War. PG-13. 2h 11m. By Stephen Holden. Nov. 7, 2013. Speaking in the honeyed, insinuating tone of the Wolf cajoling Little Red Riding Hood to do ...
The Book Thief: Film Review
The Book Thief: Film Review. Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson and newcomer Sophie Nelisse star in director Brian Percival's adaptation of the Markus Zusak novel.
The Book Thief
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA. While subjected to the horrors of WWII Germany, young Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. Under the stairs in her home, a Jewish refugee is being sheltered by her adoptive parents.
The Book Thief (film)
The Book Thief is a 2013 war drama film directed by Brian Percival and starring Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, and Sophie Nélisse.The film is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Markus Zusak and adapted by Michael Petroni.The film is about a young girl living with her adoptive German family during the Nazi era. Taught to read by her kind-hearted foster father, the girl begins "borrowing ...
'The Book Thief' Movie Review
The simplicity of Michael Petroni's script seems a drawback at first. But skilled director Brian Percival ( Downton Abbey) slowly, effectively tightens the vise as evil intrudes into the life of ...
'The Book Thief' Review
The Book Thief runs 131 minutes and is Rated PG-13 for some violence and intense depiction of thematic material. Now playing in theaters. Let us know what you thought of the film in the comment section below. Follow me on Twitter @ benkendrick for future reviews, as well as movie, TV, and gaming news.
The Book Thief
Hans becomes a fond, caring father to the girl―helping her to read and teaching her of honor and love―and she easily takes to calling him Papa. Even his storm cloud of a thundering wife, Rosa, eventually shows that there's a hidden tenderness beneath her gruff exterior. Later, when Max stumbles to the door, Hans readily takes in the ...
Movie Review: The Book Thief (2013)
Like René Clément's "Forbidden Games," British director Brian Percival's The Book Thief focuses on the effect of war on children who are forced by circumstances into coping with events beyond their capacity to understand. Written by Michael Petroni and based on the novel by Australian author Markus Zusak, it is a story told with power and conviction about the Nazi's systematic ...
The Book Thief review
The Book Thief review - 'Strange and saccharine'. Based on the bestseller by Markus Zusak, this film looks like a creepy new version of the Anne Frank story. Peter Bradshaw. Fri 28 Feb 2014 06. ...
Movie Review: 'The Book Thief'
Movie Review: 'The Book Thief'. Gabe Johnson • November 8, 2013. The Times critic Stephen Holden reviews "The Book Thief."
The Book Thief, film review: Dark material but this film plays like a
The Book Thief, film review: Dark material but this film plays like a typical coming-of-age story (12A) Brian Percival, 133 mins Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Sophie Nélisse, Ben ...
The Book Thief
Movie review of Brian Percival's The Book Thief, starring Geoffrey Rush, Emma Watson, and sophie nelisse ... Counter that to The Book Thief's story, adapted by Brian Percival from Markus Zusak's best-selling 2005 novel of the same name which goes for a dark and menacing doom. Well, as dark and menacing as allowed with a PG-13 rating.
Film Review: THE BOOK THIEF
THE BOOK THIEF. The prestige, or quality, film season is in high gear, as another film that qualifies as one of the best of the year, the moving, beautifully crafted, emotional and deeply intelligent "The Book Thief," based on the hugely-popular book of the same name, opens today, Friday, Nov. 15. "The Book Thief" is a great, insightful ...
THE BOOK THIEF
THE BOOK THIEF tells a positive Christian, moral tale of adoption and self-sacrifice. Regrettably the movie is pro-Communist in parts and deceptively uses the old Communist ploy of distinguishing between National Socialism and International socialism. Also, the act of stealing is treated as a joke.
REVIEW: "The Book Thief"
Add this to the ever growing list of movies based on popular books that I've never read. "The Book Thief" was a popular novel released in 2006 by Australian author Markus Zusak. At least that's what I'm told. I obviously had not read it or even heard of it until the new film adaptation hit theaters.
The Book Thief: Book & Movie Review + Quotes, Markus Zusak
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, first published in 2005, has gone on to become an international bestseller and a modern classic.We explain why, discuss the movie adaptation of this novel and share some memorable book quotes. Read on for our comprehensive review.
Movie Flops That Couldn't Measure Up to Their Bestselling Book ...
2. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) With a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the first movie in the Percy Jackson series just didn't live up to the phenomenal Greek ...
Kuchenga Shenjé's 'The Library Thief' book review : NPR
If a movie adaptation of the character were ever to happen, Patrick Walshe McBride would be an excellent choice to play the part. Shenjé also did an fantastic job planting hints throughout the ...
The Thief Collector Review: A Fascinating Story Weighed Down ...
Published May 19, 2023. This art heist documentary featuring Glenn Howerton has a great narrative at its core but takes its guesswork too far. FilmRise. In an age of increasingly exploitative and ...

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