Plot: What’s it about?
Based on the Novel by Markus Zusak, The Book Thief tells the story of a young girl named Liesel (Sophie Nelisse) who loses her brother on the way to meet her adoptive parents. The film begins and ends with a narration by death. It’s set during World War 2. At first, her adoptive mother is upset that not only does Liesel appear dirty, but also that she was promised two kids and only one arrives. Her new parents are played by Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson. They play Hans and Rosa Huberman, clearly Rosa is much more strict than Hans and Liesel tends to take to Hands more. It’s not long before we learn that Liesel really can’t read and it’s at her brother’s funeral that she begins picking up books and Hans eventually helps her read with the book she took from the graveside. She’s also teased at school by some of the schoolmates after she can’t spell her name on the chalkboard. That’s the central premise to this film, but there are several other subplots on display here. I’ve heard some complain that this film left a lot from the book out of it. I’ve never read the book, but that is easy to see. The film has a very choppy feel and tries to accomplish too much and ultimately collapses under it’s own weight. There’s a subplot involving a Jewish refugee that the Hubermans have taken in. We get another involving Liesel and her new love interest, Rudy (Nico Liersch). Yet another emerges showing the violence against the Jews. We get more than enough for a movie, but none of it makes it exceptionally entertaining.
I will say this: I didn’t hate The Book Thief as much as I had anticipated. It has its heart in the right place and there are several effective scenes, especially in the first half. Many of the early scenes between Rudy and Liesel getting to know each other are quite nice. Liesel hopes to eventually run away and be reunited with her birth mother. The acting is first-rate and that does make this easier to swallow. Sophie Nelisse is a great young actress and she does a fine job here. I enjoyed many of the scenes with her and Geoffrey Rush. The way their relationship builds over the course of the film is one of the stronger elements. I think somewhere along the line the film lost me. It’s very plodding at times and eventually I was just ready for it to end. Things do build to a pretty emotional climax, but I didn’t care enough about the previous events for it to really work on me. If you’re familiar with the novel then I’m sure you’ll enjoy it or if the plot sounds like it might interest you then check it out. All others should steer clear.
Video: How’s it look?
The AVC (2.40:1) transfer is top notch. From the opening moments showing the snowy backdrop, we can see that things will be strong. This might not be the most obvious film to have such a strong transfer, but it is. There’s really nothing bad to say. I sometimes worry if my Video portions sound redundant, but there are only so many ways to describe a fine transfer. Details remained strong, colors deep and strong and sharpness was always on point. There’s just a nice, clean and natural look to the print used.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD track is solid as well. Things stayed generally active among all channels and little details such as horns honking or background chatter (among other things) add to it. Vocals were strong and audible despite some heavy accents. The film’s score comes across with clear distinction here and, like the transfer, has a nice sound to it. The creaky floor panels in some scenes feel like you’re right there. There’s also a nice rumble during some of the action scenes. Fans will be pleased with this track.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This is a single disc release with a UV digital copy code tucked inside. There aren’t many features on this disc, but the documentary contains some good notes. Lets take a closer look…
- Deleted Scenes – We get 4 here: Read a good book, Papers?, “I can’t leave now”, and A quick Look. There are some decent moments to check out here. The film was long enough so these were wisely deleted, but they’re still nice to see.
- A Hidden Truth: Bringing The Book Thief to Life – This is broken into 4 parts (An inspirational history, Finding the thief and her family, Bringing the past to life and The legend and the music). You’ll find more than enough useful info here including casting choices, locations, the novel and several other factors. It’s worth checking out for fans.
- Theatrical Trailer
- Previews
- UltraViolet Copy
