Member review

Fox 2000 Pictures' The Book Thief is a brilliant, poignant and moving film. However, the touching and emotional narrative is not appropriate for younger Viewers, due to distressing scenes, despite containing many important messages.

The narrative coneys many very important messages including: you must be kind and show sensitivity to those who have suffered and you must stand up for yourself and others and not let people bully you or others. It teaches Viewers to make the most of what they have, and to remember that they are never alone and that hope always glimmers in the darkness. It also informs Viewers that the most powerful story is your own. It teaches many important lessons through speech, such as: "A person is only as good as their word, Liesel."; "Words are life, Liesel" and Aristotle’s quote "Memory is the scribe of the soul" are used.

It is set in various places in a fictional German town called Molching, which is located near Munich. There is a variety of settings within the Town and in the house which Liesel comes to live in. This allows the narrative and plot to develop. It also means that characters act differently in various places depending on what is happening.

Most the sounds used are realistic. For example, a loud siren is used for the Air Raid (they can be heard from about 25 miles away, in reality). However, some sounds are louder for effect. For example: the sound of the Train’s intake and exhaust cycle was extra loud for suspense. Music is also used to create suspense, tension, wonder, amazement and joy. Gentle music is also used to establish a feeling of sorrow and loss. Sometimes there is only background noise, and sometimes there is no music to convey sorrow, grief and lamentation. Furthermore, some German is spoken, which makes the film feel authentic and realistic.

In Fox 2000 Pictures' The Book Thief, realistic colours are used, which helps to establish the narrative’s setting. Additionally, some scenes are dark (not lit well), which creates a suspenseful and sorrowful atmosphere. The colours were also dark in tone, often being deep greens, blues and burgundies. This illustrates and foreshadows the dark time that they were living in and the dark times to come.

Relationships change between characters as different events happen to them. This is due to events bringing them together. Additionally, the characters develop through the narrative, as they learn and experience new things. There is also a Narrator who makes the Viewers reflect on their own life and experiences and it is a very clever way of doing this.

The narrative follows a portion of the life, time and actions of Liesel. This allows Viewers to understand what life was like between 1939 and 1942. Various different camera shots are used including, close ups, which illustrate and emphasise the emotions someone is feeling. Additionally, it uses Dollying and Trucking tracking shots to convey not only the physical movement of the characters, but also the journey that they are experiencing.