Liesel is on board a train at the start of the show, with her mother and brother. The brother dies and Liesel watches men cut a hole in the frozen ground with axes, in order to bury the young boy. Then the 10 or 12 year old girl is left alone because the mother either leaves her or is placed in a concentration camp. At any rate, Liesel winds up with foster parents and may I say that no orphan ever hit the jackpot for foster parents like this little lady did.
The new father is Hans, played by Geoffrey Rush in what may well be an oscar-winning performance. His wife is the dour Rosa (Emily Watson), a crabby person with a heart of gold and that rare toughness that will get you through a hellish war. While many starve and the bombs fall, Rosa still finds the makings of her hellish soup, which will make even a starving man puke. Ha, ha.
The starving man is Max, a Jewish lad of about twenty years who has been sent to Hans, a family friend. Though it is worth their lives to shelter a Jew, Hans hides the sick fellow in his basement. Max becomes great pals with Liesel. Liesel is learning to read and has a fanatical love of books. The noble Max teaches Liesel to share her thoughts with him so he can 'see' the outdoors which is forbidden to him by his race and persecution. She begins to write stories because of this, entertaining the scared occupants of bomb shelters, as well as Max.
In a scene that brought tears to my eyes and a shiver up my spine, Liesel attended a pep rally for 'Der Fuerher' that was a massive book burning. It is with regret that I say that we will probably see that grim business again if the world stands another few years. Probably not in Germany; perhaps here on our shores. Liesel is such a book lover that she risks her life to steal a smoldering book off the pile, almost catching her coat on fire on the way home. Later she risks much to 'borrow' books from a wealthy lady who becomes her benefactor.
Oh, yes? You are curious about that title, especially if you are a romantic, such as I. Well, Rudy (Nico Liersch) is Liesel's young friend and neighbor. I gather that the golden haired boy loved the blue eyed lass from the first glimpse he caught of her. He begged her for a kiss for several of their early years together, standing by her through thick and thin. Mostly, almost entirely, thin. Darn thin. Paper thin.
Will Rudy get his kiss? Will Hans be put in prison? Will Rosa stop being a delightful pain in the butt? Will Max march off to a Death Camp with a star on his coat? Find out this and more if you go see this terrific movie. I can not in all conscience call this anything less than a 5 star show. Do yourself a favor and take the whole family to see it. During the showing I was at, no attendee made a sound, spoke a word or went to the restroom. When the movie ended, no one talked or got up to leave for a few minutes as the credits rolled. Sort of like they were waiting on the funny outtakes from a Jackie Chan film. Or, perhaps, they were drying their cheeks, blowing their noses and putting their make-up in order. Good night, all.
P.S. What does a book really mean? Why does every dictator desire to control the media? Are dreams that dangerous? Should all of us think the same thoughts, programmed and brainwashed to believe anything we see on the news? Powerful people fear the written word. The words that might dare talk about a better life. That might disagree. That might inspire the dream of freedom. That might call a spade a spade and a crime a crime. That might say that there is something bitterly wrong with murdering 6 million people. Those of us who were raised by that greatest generation that fought World War 2 wanted freedom, free love and no boundaries. The stringent, regimented toughness that carried our parents to life and victory during the war palled on us. We dropped out and became a lesser generation, as a reaction. We had our own worthwhile contributions to be sure, but if we ever see a war fought on our own soil, will we stand as tall as those who came before us? I have hopes that we will. May God bless America.
I'm CE Wills.
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