The Reader (2008) 

The Reader is a complex film. It was adapted from the novel by Bernhard Schlink & takes place over a span of many years & deals with a number of weighty issues. At times the film is a forbidden love story, a courtroom drama, an examination of guilt & shame, as well as a testament to the art & power of the written word.

One of The Reader’s greatest strengths is its impressive & talented cast. The film stars Golden Globe winner & Oscar nominee Kate Winslet along with Ralph Fiennes & newcomer David Kross.

Each actor portrays a challenging & multi- faceted character. Fiennes portrays Michael, a detached & unemotional middle-aged man. Winslet’s character Hanna is a fiercely private woman with a shameful past. David Kross plays Michael as a 15-year-old who is forced to grow up quickly & face some horrible truths.

The film begins as Kross’s character enters into an affair with Hanna, a much older woman. It is interesting to note that perhaps if the male & female roles had been reversed in this film it probably would’ve been charged with glorifying pedophilia. Movies about a teen boy’s sexual awakening with a much older woman, however, are fairly commonplace.

Hanna & Michael’s relationship is initially about sex but grows more intimate as Michael begins reading to his older lover. It seems that Hanna only allows herself to show emotion while listening to the various tales Michael reads to her.

The Reader’s romance involves 2 very different people who, despite the odds, find each other. Both characters are lonely & don’t seem to fit in with those around them. Michael’s isolation is implied in scenes such as when he has supper with his family. The atmosphere is stale & quiet with an obvious lack of emotion. Hanna’s life is marked by self-imposed solitude. She is alienated from almost everyone & lives a utilitarian life in a tiny sparsely appointed apartment. She seems to have no friends or family members.

Winslet’s character remains a mysterious puzzle throughout The Reader. Viewers never learn much about her personal background or get a real insight into her feelings or motives. Her aloof attitude is made obvious by the fact that even after they have sex Hanna still continues to refer to her lover as “kid”.

The Reader also explores post war guilt in Germany. How does a country & its people recover after the horrors of the Nazi regime? The film deals with the aftermath of World War II, a time when Germany had to reconcile its past & plan its future. During the days of Hitler being a Nazi was the mark of a proud & loyal citizen. After the war, however, those same men & women were seen as monsters & cold-blooded murderers who had to pay for their cruelty & horrific crimes. One of the key questions dealt with in The Reader is what can be learned by Germany’s Nazi past. At one point in the film Michael, now a university student, visits one of the abandoned concentration camps. It’s a powerful sequence which serves to reveal the horrors of the past & drive home the assertion that such atrocities should never be forgotten or brushed away.

The Reader also explores the power of reading. Passages from several famous works are read aloud during the course of the film. The written word is portrayed in terms of its ability to bridge boundaries & reach people. Books serve to communicate experiences as well as educate & move people emotionally. In our modern era of movies, TV, & the internet the raw power of literature is often overlooked.

The Reader is a touching film. It’s well crafted in terms of elements such as cinematography, art direction, wardrobe, & score. Kate Winslet delivers what is perhaps her best performance ever. This is an intelligent film that is well worth seeing.

(Originally published on Helium)