The Book Thief

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence and intense depiction of thematic material
Appropriate for: Ages 13+
Genre: War Drama
Length: 131 minutes
Year of Release: 2013

(Parent/Teen discussion questions for this movie can be found at http://christianperspectivereviews.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_4279.html)

The Book Thief is the story of a girl who is hungry for words. Set in the midst of a Germany filled with Nazi propaganda, the movie begins with the world on the brink of World War Two. Young Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse) is the daughter of a communist woman who is at odds with the German government. For the protection of her children, Liesel’s mother brings her two children to the home of foster parents. After her brother dies during the trip, however, Liesel alone is delivered to the home of Hans and Rosa Hubermann (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson). Now Liesel faces the challenges that come with new parents and a new home. Her new mother has the temperament of a thunderstorm, and Liesel’s illiteracy becomes the brunt of the children’s ridicule at her new school. Her life, however, is sweetened by the friendship of her loving foster father, Hans, and her kind next-door neighbor, Rudy (Nico Liersch). When Hans discovers Liesel’s desire to learn to read, he promises to help her, and books soon become a source of beauty and wonder in her life. Not until her home becomes the refuge to a hunted Jew, however, does Liesel learn the true value of words.

Although I have done my best, this summary utterly fails to capture the essence of this touching story. Despite the death and sadness that fill this film, the screenplay paints a picture of humanity that reminds viewers of the vacuum in the human soul that is ever hungry for beauty and goodness. The film reminds us that, although all humans must die, not all humans are defeated by death. Furthermore, The Book Thief makes an attempt to communicate the idea that humans are special and that words are a powerful gift. As a character says to Liesel, “Every living thing, every leaf, every bird, is only alive because it contains the secret word for life. That’s the only difference between us and a lump of clay. A word. Words are life, Liesel.” Unfortunately, however, the film fails to distinguish humans from any other living, breathing creature. It fails to explain why words have so much power. Although The Book Thief shows viewers hope in the face of death, it does not give them a source for that hope. Without bringing God into the picture, the hope that Liesel finds in books and words is shallow and fake. Without referring to God’s powerful word in Genesis one and the “breath of life” that he breathed into mankind, the movie’s distinction between clay and humans seems superficial. The characters fail to recognize that words are not God. In truth, God made words. Therefore, words are not life; rather, the Word of God is life.

From a moviemaking standpoint, this movie is beautifully made, professionally acted, and accompanied by a breathtaking soundtrack. Philosophically, this movie dives into some incredibly deep topics, addressing them in ways that are utterly genius. The very fact that this movie deals with some nitty-gritty topics, however, makes this film inappropriate for young children. The dreary and depressing aura of the film, along with the recurring depictions of death and war, would be simply too frightening for children who are too young to understand the movie’s central themes. In addition, the presence of Death as the narrator of the film could also be disturbing and slightly gruesome to more sensitive viewers; however, this element is not overdone and, therefore, not repulsive. Although there are a few misuses of the Lord’s name in the film, I found them relatively inoffensive compared to the content of other contemporary films and, therefore, would consider language in this film to practically be a non-issue. The film also deals with the element of young love quite tastefully, not only painting a heartwarming picture of friendship but also showing viewers a beautiful image of the love of family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would highly recommend it to families with teens. Whether you want to have a good cry or are looking for a movie that will spark a profitable discussion, this is definitely the movie for you.