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The Reader

USA/Germany 2008
Directed by
Stephen Daldry
124 minutes
Rated MA

Reviewed by
Sharon Hurst
4 stars

The Reader

Synopsis: In 1958, in a Germany still reeling from WW2, 16 year old Michael Berg (David Kross) gets off a tram. Feeling ill, he  is helped by Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslett), a mysterious woman more than twice his age and a love affair between the two begins. Suddenly as she appears, Hanna disappears from Michael’s life but eight years later, when Michael is a student at the Heidelberg Law School, he attends a trial of Nazi war crimes, only to find Hanna is a defendant. As the horrific secrets of her actions during the war emerge, he is torn between revulsion and memories of the woman he loved. As an adult, Michael (now played by Ralph Fiennes) must come to terms with the legacy of his young love affair.

This compelling film is based upon the world-wide-best-selling book by German novelist Bernard Schlink. The novel was excellent, if grim, reading, and the film quite faithfully reflects this albeit  with richer themes and more moral complexities that might have been anticipated given that the screenplay was by David Hare, one of Britain's principal playwrights.

On the surface level we have a classic coming-of-age story one that looks at the way a secret affair damages and its abrupt end affects the young man, eventually giving rise to a withdrawn man, played by Fiennes with touches of Borgardean finesse. The romance between the older woman and a younger man is tastefully yet erotically presented although it may bend the rules on age-difference too much for some.  .

An equally morally-vexed theme is that of Germany coming to terms with its past, and the ever-complex issues of reconciliation and even forgiveness. One of Michael’s law professors, Rohl, (Bruno Ganz) represents the older more traditional position who argue for the simple ‘legality’ of what took place in Germany during the war and that matters of right and wrong didn’t exist whilst his students, who represent the new order, challenge him. During Hanna’s trial we also see her strange disconnection from the horrific events in which she was involved. She simply responds that she was a guard and what she did was her duty. Then, at an even deeper level we have Michael’s inner conflict of how to now perceive, and maybe condemn, this woman who has done reprehensible things but whom he once so loved. Can such crimes be forgiven?

Winslett captures the almost uncanny quality of this seemingly naïve woman, who is at once hard, but with an unapproachable softness that we sometimes sense. Along with her fine performance we have a mature one from young Kross (who was 18 years old at the time), as well as the impressive Lena Olin playing both a mother (during the war), and the grown-up daughter (in present day) who was the only survivor of the horrific incident in which Hannah was involved.

Aging of the characters is not always done as well as one would wish, but this is a small gripe with what is a disturbing but enthralling film.

 

 

 

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