The Book Thief (2013)

"Death: The only truth that I truly know, is that I am haunted by humans."

What happens to a book lover in a time where literacy was highly undermined? This becomes the situation of Liesel Meminger, a fostered ten-year-old girl from Germany during WWII. The story centers on the life of Liesel as she faces the tragedies of the war together with her foster family and newfound friends. The film begins with the arrival of Liesel to her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Huberman, after the death of her younger brother. Upon her arrival, she carries with her a book but ironic enough, she does not know how to read. Meanwhile, Hans opens up her mind to the captivating world of books. After learning how to read, she grows fond of it to the point of stealing a book from a Nazi bonfire.

One of the most fascinating aspects I found in the film was the fact that it was narrated by Death. It seems highly unusual but it managed to give more depth and uniquness to how the story was told. Aside from that, I loved the relationships formed in the film especially that between Max, a Jew who hid in the basement of the Hubermans, and Liesel. Throughout the middle of the film, we see Liesel trying to comfort Max by reading to him when he got gravely ill and in my opinion, the uncanny friendship formed between the two elicited more emotion from the audience and intensified the film’s reception to its viewers.

Another event in the film that struck me the most was the tragic loss of Liesel’s foster family, including his friend, Rudy who was about to confess something to her yet his last breath did not allow him to finish his message. This devastating event was the most tragic part of the film but it did portray the realities of the war. More so, this event built up the mood for the last scene which was 2 years after the war wherein Liesel was reconciled with Max. Finally, the film closes with Death’s narration of the wonderful life Liesel has lived and how until then, he is still haunted by humans.