THE BOOK THIEF – The Review

The cinemas are bracing for a big film this weekend. It’s based on a young adult novel about a plucky girl trying to survive in an oppressive society. Oh, but this is not about a futuristic society. This one was based over in Europe about 75 years ago. Germany to be exact. And this plucky young girl is nearly have the age of that futuristic heroine. Little Liesel’s only in grade school. And in order to fight for survival, she doesn’t rely on a bow and arrow like Ms. Katniss. She must use her head and heart to stay one stop ahead of the baddies. Both young women have little to eat (hence, those “Hunger Games”), but Liesel yearns to feed her stomach and her intellect. That’s why she risks everything by becoming THE BOOK THIEF.

In the late 1930’s as she is traveling by train to a better life, Liesel (Sophie Nelisse) watches in horror as her beloved younger brother passes away in a nearby passenger seat. Consumed by despair, her mother sends her ahead solo to live with her relatives Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson) in a bustling German village. Happily Liesel becomes friends with a neighbor boy her age named Rudy (Nico Liersch). Unfortunately many of their schoolmates mock her because of her inability to read. Hearing of this, the kind-hearted Hans sets up a class room in the basement and soon she is a voracious reader. So much so that she rescues a tome from the Nazi party sponsored town square book burning. The family also risks the ire of the local authorities by sheltering the teenage Jewish son of an old family friend. The young man named Max (Ben Schnetzer) becomes good friends with Liesel as he hides out in the apartment. While delivering laundry from Rosa, Liesel also befriends the wife of the town Buergermiester, who shares her secret library. But what will happen to their lives as the raging war begin to engulf the little town?

Of course the focus of the film is the title character expertly portrayed by screen newcomer Nelisee. We get to see this crazy often cruel world through her wide expressive eyes. Life has knocked her down in the film’s opening scenes as she is almost a mute when she steps off the train, But soon we witness her plucky spirit along with her courage and compassion. Luckily she holds her own while sharing scenes with two screen veterans. Rush nearly steals the film as the sweet. mischievous, loving father figure who becomes Liesel’s biggest supporter and inspiration. He’s a terrific counterbalance to his rough domineering wife superbly essayed by Watson. Her Rosa has built up a tough exterior to shield her from life’s cruelties, but her seemingly cold heart is thawed by the sweet little girl she has been given. At times she must parent both Liesel and Hans as the two conspire on new schemes. Liersch is charming as the boy next door who’s immediately smitten by Liesel. Unfortunately, the blond lad is shunned by many because of his admiration for African-American Olympic star Jesse Owens. Schnetzer also has great rapport with Nelisee as his Max tries to stay safe and hidden while wishing to join the fight and find his missing family.

Director Brian Percival makes excellent use of the Bavarian street sets and landscapes along with lovely period costumes. The film seldom lags as the years pass and the tides of war change. Unfortunately the film is being marketed as a gentle children’s’ entertainment, almost a sequel to THE SOUND OF MUSIC, but it’s much tougher than that. In addition to the narrator’s identity, the film doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the Nazis as they threaten everyone (especially the children) in the otherwise peaceful village. We see that many of the residents chafe at the new order, but feel helpless and ineffectual. This is especially true when they must spend their nights underground as the bombs strike from the skies. This is a sweet, sometimes bitter tale that can be enjoyed by all audiences. So watch out, because while she’s snapping up your novels, THE BOOK THIEF just may steal your heart.

3.5 Out of 5

THE BOOK THIEF opens around the country and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema