Skip to main content

The Book Thief ~ Beautiful

Yesterday, the roads were finally clear enough to get to the movie theatre. I decided to watch 'The Book Thief'. Boy was I glad I made that choice! You might recall that I blogged about 'The Book Theif' several months ago. At that time I hadn't read the book but the trailer was enough to get my curiosity running and I have read it now! It's good to know your source material wouldn't you say? Let's get started!

This movie is absolutely gorgeous. The visuals are simply stunning! Indoors or outdoors, it doesn't matter. All the little details and World War II era gadgets pull you right back in time. What I'm trying to say is that the sets, costumes, and cinematography are absolutely perfect! Not only are they perfect, but they are also exactly how I pictured them from the book. So they are accurate to the story as well! Very, very good!

The acting is also masterfully done. Geoffrey Rush is such a class act, yet somehow I am still surprised by his skills! He doesn't stand alone though! Everyone else, the children included, acted wonderfully as well. Sophie Nélisse, who played Liesel, managed to act all the ages depicted in the book. Liesel starts out about 12 and you watch her age all the way until she is about 17 or 18. The actress is 13 years old and yet somehow she managed to age flawlessly on screen. I was stunned.

As for the story itself, it was great. I would say that is was a respectful abridgement of the book. No, not everything is there and yes, they did change a few things. What was removed and changed was clearly for time. I think that they managed to maintain the spirit of the book. To my surprise and joy, they had the narrator. I feared that they would remove that aspect but they didn't! 'The Book Thief' is a complex story with many facets. The deepest or most troubling story lines were removed along with my favorite scene. That being said, it's still one of the most accurate book to movie adaptations I have ever seen!

I liked this movie. It ambles along at it's own comfortable pace, just like it should. It weaves the story in front of your eyes and makes you think. It is art. If that sounds like something you would like, watch it!


Labels:

Comments

  1. CherieDecember 16, 2013 at 3:38 PM

    "...a respectful abridgement of the book." I agree.

    A very fair review, yet again.

    This movie so took me into its time and place, so involved me in the perfectly acted characters' lives and personalities, that when I left the theater I was disoriented. Well done all the way around, and another great review from you. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. CassieFebruary 14, 2014 at 9:02 AM

    Yes, so true! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Emergency at the Pony Express

It was a hot dusty day at the Pony Express station. There were no packages coming and the riders were getting antsy. Jesse, the youngest rider at age 16, was re-shoeing his pony, and Kale, Jesse’s older brother, was sitting on the porch watching the Texas dust blow. Jesse stood up, patted the pony and said, “Well Sarah, we are ready to go now.” He then walked to the water barrel and drank a large ladleful, liquid rolling down his shirt. Kale looked at the horizon and saw two dark silhouette’s approaching. “Hey Jesse!” Kale hollered, “I think a job’s a- comin’.” Jesse looked around the corner of the station to see the figures growing by the second. He quickly ate a biscuit, then stood on the porch watching as the men arrived. The men were obviously military, both wearing navy blue uniforms, their horses were stark black with manes and tales cut short. “What can we do for you’s today?” Kale asked. “We need you to deliver a package to Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” one of the men said. ...
14 comments
Read more

KIds Can be Cruel

I can hardly believe the capability of people to just be heartless. Cliques are such a horrible thing, making so many people sad. Don't you hate it when someone says, "Partner up!" and you are the last person chosen? It is so much worse when you are the last person for months. Kids can be soooo cruel. What about when the kids start playing dirty? When they start spreading rumors? What if they are trying to crush a person? It sure stinks to be the person on the "crush" list! As you can tell I am having social problems.
8 comments
Read more

Kumea

Kumea (Koo-may) was a little girl. She was the age of ten and always wore pigtails clasped with a bright blue ribbon. Every morning Kumea woke up early, with the sun, and helped her mother tend to the rice farm in beautiful Japan. This farm year was different than all the others. The rice paddy was a sickly brownish yellow instead of bright lush green, and at night she would hear her parents talking about how the emperor would take their farm away if the weather didn’t change. One morning Kumea was gathering water from the creek when she thought she heard movement in the forest behind her house. Kumea took a little cup, filled it with water, and carried it over to a small yellow flower behind a shed. Slowly she poured water on the flower like she had done for weeks when her mother wasn’t looking. Just then a large cart approached the farmhouse with armored soldiers in it. Kumea peeked around the corner of the shed and watched the soldiers walk to her Father. The soldiers and her f...
7 comments
Read more