Words Are Life...The Book Thief Movie Review

(Spoiler Alert)

Yesterday I saw the movie, The Book Thief.  It’s one of those movies that will haunt you long after the credits have rolled by.  I hate it when that happens….

It is about a young, brave girl named Liesel who goes to live with a foster family in WWII Germany.  Her foster family ends up hiding a young Jewish man named Max in their basement for two years, saving him from Nazi capture while putting themselves in grave danger. 

When Liesel first comes to live with her foster family, she feels abandoned and all alone.  She has lost her mother who was captured by the Nazis and her younger brother has died on the way to their new foster home.  She soon comes to love her foster father, who reaches out to this young frightened girl through his love of music but also by teaching her to read.  He provides a quiet retreat for her in the basement where he has created a wall dictionary for her to write down all the new words she encounters. This living dictionary opens up her world as she embraces her love of literature. Her sweetness brings light to the darkness that surrounds her.

Liesel begins to steal books, which are being burned and confiscated by the Nazis, in order to read and share them with Max who has been confined to a dark basement.  She also uses the stories to distract herself and her neighbors from their fears while they hide in a bomb shelter. As she shares these stories with those around her, she provides them comfort and hope. Max encourages her to write down her stories in a journal he has made for her. Max shares that in the Jewish faith, story telling and words are very important.  “Words are life,” he tells Liesel.

I found myself loving and hating this movie.  Loving it from avid reader and writer’s perspective because I love to get lost in a story and I enjoy the creative process of writing and sharing my stories. Hating it because it brought up feelings of sadness of what humanity can do to one another. Hating it because it brought up feelings of despair that history may repeat itself while we are brainwashed by media propaganda and distracted by selfish pursuits. And mostly hating the feeling of fear that crept into my heart when I thought about my own possible actions. What would I have done when faced with saving a life at the risk of sacrificing my own?  Would I have stood up for a neighbor who was being dragged and beaten merely for his race and religion? Most importantly, what will I do if history repeats itself?

This movie is a “Must See” even if it makes us uncomfortable because it reminds us of the danger of allowing ourselves to forget the horrors of the past. It reminds us of the necessity of educating our children on the truth of history so that we can hopefully prevent our children from repeating it. But also because it gives us hope. That one person, no matter how young, can make a difference, can save a life, can stand up against evil, and can give hope.  And that maybe if she can do it, then if and when the time comes, I can do it too.

This movie also reminded me of the power of the written word to share someone’s story, to reveal truth, to inspire, to make a difference, and change our world. 

This movie made me think.

This movie made me give thanks that I still have freedom to speak, to write, to share.

And most importantly, this movie made me pray.

Before the Resurrected Jesus ascended to Heaven, He told the disciples to wait for the Promise of the Father in Jerusalem. This promise would be the baptism of fire by the Holy Spirit.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and the end of the earth.” Acts 1: 8

I spent a lot of my Christian life working and living in my own strength, with not a lot to show for it. Oh, I was saved and living to the best of my ability. But that was the problem I was living to the best of MY ability.  When times got tough, I struggled. Sometimes I felt like I lost my way. That is not the way that Jesus intends for us to live.  He knew that times were going to get tough and dangerous for the disciples as they lived out their mission to spread His message of salvation to the world. They would face persecution, torture, starvation, threats of death, and death itself.  The Father gave them His very own Spirit Power because they were going to need it. Just like He knows we need it today.

As this world becomes more and more hostile to the Christian viewpoint, we are going to need the Holy Spirit’s power to give us wisdom, courage, and faith. And as this movie brought out these feelings of self-reflection and fears, I had to remind myself that I need not fear. God's perfect love for me casts out all of my fear (1 John 4:18). What I loved about this movie is that it reminded me to pray daily for more of God's Holy Spirit power. It reminded me that God's Word IS Life. I need to memorize it and hide it in my heart because there may come a day when that privilege is no longer available. God's Word is alive and meant to be shared so that it can bring light to the darkness, life to the dying. That is our calling as Christians, to share God's life-giving Word, resting in the peace that God goes before us and with us, preparing the way. 

So go see the movie (if you're 13+) and let me know what you think...

Love,

Yolanda