With sophie nelisse, geoffrey rush, emily watson, ben schnetzer. When max is very sick, lisa reads him a book every day and resorts to stealing books to read to him, only to return them back on completion. The thief of books a film actors, viewers further, based on the novel by m. Book lovers will not be disappointed as the movie stays true to the book. Never thought of the possibility that it could be max. Familyfriendly, feelgood emphasis in the book thief paints over the holocaust as well as mein kampf in a wishful narrative set amid catastrophe. In the end, the book thief, directed by brian percival, was a beautiful movie. They did have some small unnecessary changes but overall it was an outstanding movie.
Max vandenburg is the jewish man who hides in the hubermanns basement. His fighting buddy, walter kugler, is a conscripted german soldier, but offers to hide max anyway. This guy is a fighter in just about all the ways someone can be a fighter. Differences between the book thief book vs movie page 1.
Death and plucky tween find their voice in holocaust tale the grim reaper proves an unwelcome narrator in wellintentioned adaptation of markus zusaks popular world. For her performance in the film, she won a genie and a jutra award for best supporting actress. The book thief is a lifeaffirming story of survival and of the resilience of the human spirit. From what i have learned subsequently, the book that the plot is based on emphasizes this much more strongly, and many people who have come from the book and watched the film found it a very unsatisfying adaptation. Ben schnetzer born february 8, 1990 is an american actor schnetzer was born and raised in new york city, the son of actors stephen schnetzer and nancy snyder. Though based on a huge bestseller the 2006 markus zusak novel of the same name the book thief is a small movie broadly about the power of the written word to transport us beyond the most dire circumstances in this case, nazi germany, the film is at heart a simple but beautiful tale of the unconditional love between a father and his daughter. The hubermanns protect him from the nazi regime by hiding him in their basement under the staircase with a bed of tarpaulin sheets and a wall of paint cans max was born on. Also unclear was the concept of how words have the power of life, and the title book thief only played a minor role in the film. Besides that, the new movie, like markus zusaks novel, is narrated by death urbanely voiced by british actor roger allam not exactly the jolliest guide through a traumatic period of history. They both have nightmares about their pasts, and they both see hans hubermann and his.
Charlotte osullivan, writing for the london evening standard, said. Max repaints the pages of the book, mein kampf and gives it to liesel for her to write in it. Based on the bestseller by markus zusak, the film tells the story of. Ben schnetzer was born on february 8 1990 in new york, to actors stephen schnetzer and nancy snyder. What maisie knew was a serious drama that was for a mature audience so i believe onata has what it takes to star in the book thief. The book thief is a 20 war drama film directed by brian percival and starring geoffrey rush.
Starring geoffrey rush, roger allam, emily watson and sophie nelisse. It was adapted into a 20 feature film of the same name. Nov 06, 20 besides that, the new movie, like markus zusaks novel, is narrated by death urbanely voiced by british actor roger allam not exactly the jolliest guide through a traumatic period of history. In the basement of her home, a jewish refugee is being protected by her adoptive parents. This 20 film was based on the 2005 novel of the same name by markus zusak. The film is adapted from the book by australian author markus zusak and is a little unusual in, that, as with the film, it is narrated by death. In the movie max dreams of becoming a boxer and fighting hitler. The narrative device, carried over from markus zusaks popular novel, quickly wears out its welcome in the movie. At this age, liesel was unfortunately separated from her family, her father and brother died and her mother was most likely brought to a concentration camp. His father saved hanss life during world war i, and later hans tries to save maxs life, which puts the hubermanns lives in great jeopardy.
The the book thief quotes below are all either spoken by max vandenburg or refer to max vandenburg. While some observers might say that line was crossed long ago, others may find that conclusive proof arrives in brian percivals the book thief, based on an international bestseller that the new york times jibed as harry potter and the holocaust. Nov 07, 20 if there can be such a thing as a sweet, reflective fable about death and the holocaust, the book thief is it. Since liesel is the main character for the book thief, i wanted this young kid to have been the main character of another movie. The book thief 20 cast and crew in 1938, young orphan liesel sophie nelisse arrives at the home of her new foster parents, hans geoffrey rush and rosa emily watson. Im glad that the nonreaders of the world will get to experience this story too because it was so very wonderful. Based on the beloved international bestselling book, the book thief tells the story of an extraordinary, spirited young girl sent to live with a foster family in wwii germany. Anyway, when reading the book, and till this day, i think she married rudys older brother, alex.
It stars australian actor geoffrey rush and british actress emily watson, who are both exemplary in their roles as a german couple the hubermanns who just before the outbreak of ww2 decide to. Nico liersch was born on july 17, 2000 in munich, bavaria, germany as nico louis liersch. Onata was the main protagonist in the movie what maisie knew. Geoffrey rush at an event for the book thief 20 geoffrey rush and sophie. He played mark ashton in the movie pride, released in 2014, and.
Maxs father had saved hans life in world war i, and hence he goes to the hubermanns house, where rosa and hans. Schnetzer is a new yorker with an unpromising cv he was one of the few good things about the. Max wants to survive the holocaust for the sake of his family and his dignity. The idea of a jewish male and a german girl becoming good acquaintances is an unimaginable, punishable thought in the time that the book thief is written. Before arriving on himmel street, hes already seething with it. He played max vandenburg in the film adaptation of the book. Her adoptive father teaches her to read, and when the family hides a fleeing jew named max, liesel takes to borrowingstealing books that she reads to help keep his hopes and spirit alive. The book thief is a 20 war drama film directed by brian percival and starring geoffrey rush, emily watson, and sophie nelisse. I recommend the book thief to anyone who wants to cry rudys death and laugh liesel and max making fun of hitler. He is mostly known for his role as rudy steiner in the 20 film the book thief. The character of max vandenburg in the book thief from.
Keith francis a stunning tale of adolescence in nazi germany, the book thief follows the life of liesel meminger as she grows up in the home of her adoptive parents. Max vandenburg is a german jew who takes refuge in the hubermanns household in molching germany on himmel heaven street during the events of world war two, developing a close friendship with liesel meminger. I think this role would be easy for cole because his role in the suite life of zack and cody is very similar. Nov 07, 20 death wont stop talking in the book thief.
He feels deeply guilty for leaving his family to save himself, an act he sees as a choice rather than a necessity to survive. Ben schnetzer born february 8, 1990 is an american actor. The book thief, like the book on which its based, is narrated by death roger allam, who explains that he rarely cares about the stories of the living, with the exception of young liesel meminger sophie nelisse. However, max vandenburg and liesel meminger went against this abomination during this time and during their friendship max vandenburg gave many things to liesel. When liesel drops her newly completed memoir, the book thief, after learning that all those she knows and loves on himmel street have died from bomb blasts, death steals the book from a trash truck. Ben schnetzer max on set movie interview screenslam. She began her career at the age of seven in commercials, then made her movie debut at age 10 in the 2012 frenchcanadian film monsieur lazhar. Maybe it just didnt strike me at first because of the age difference. Its fresh, and packs the most emotional impact of any film that ive seen all year. Rudy finds out about max after he has left the basement. However, max remains strong and endures the pain and suffering. He played max vandenburg in the film adaptation of the book thief 20. Max ben schnetzer and liesel sophie nelisse the book thief while the restricted scope of the film helps to tell the main book thief storyline, the movie falls short of developing many of the presented events beyond interconnected, but mostly surfacelevel, displays of exposition and tension. The actor ben schnetzer talks about his first big role, in the book thief, which.
The film is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by markus zusak and adapted by michael petroni. The book thief spent more than 230 weeks on the bestseller list. Hardworking, intelligent even with her inability to read at the beginning of the story, brave, bold character summary. And then theres max vandenburg, the jewish man hiding from the nazis, who commits an ultimate act of figurative book thievery. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. When the war ends, he searches for liesel, hoping to find her. Rudy sees maxs name written on one of liesels books and discovers the secret of max while he is still in the basement. Feb 18, 2020 the book thief, like the book on which its based, is narrated by death roger allam, who explains that he rarely cares about the stories of the living, with the exception of young liesel meminger sophie nelisse. Nov 14, 20 the book thief has its moments of brilliance, thanks in large part to an adept cast.
He also feels ashamed of the burden he places on the hubermanns since he knows hes putting them in serious danger by being in their home. If there can be such a thing as a sweet, reflective fable about death and the holocaust, the book thief is it. After a wellreceived screening of 20th century foxs the book thief, an adaptation of markus zusaks 2006 novel of the same title that was released. Oct 29, 20 the book thief is a lifeaffirming story of survival and of the resilience of the human spirit. Liesel is a young girl who is taken in by a foster family in germany. While subjected to the horrors of world war ii germany, young liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. He was a troublemaker in that show and that is what rudy is in the book thief. Based on the beloved international bestselling book, the book thief tells the story. The book thief has the use of nazis in movies reached the point of being pornographic. Sophie nelisse and nico liersch reunion 2016 actors from the. If you go to a bookstore looking for markus zusaks novel, the movies source, you re. Ben schnetzer celebrity profile check out the latest ben schnetzer photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. His father saved hanss life during world war i, and later hans tries to save max s life, which puts the hubermanns lives in great jeopardy. Ben schnetzer max on set movie interview youtube love this actor, love his beautiful eyes, wonderful interview, great.
The film is about a young girl living with her adoptive german family during the nazi era. Rudy sees max s name written on one of liesels books and discovers the secret of max while he is still in the basement. Max vandenburg click the character infographic to download. He began acting in his teens, appearing in the tv drama happy town but, in his own words wanted to give acting a proper shot and moved to london in 2010 to study drama at the guildhall school of music and drama. At the beginning of the story, liesel was nine years old almost ten. The levels of lovehate and joydisappointment are no greater in the world of cinema than with literary translations to film. In the middle of the novel, max had to leave because the life of the hubermanns could have been in danger. Ben schnetzer on the book thief the new york times. Taught to read by her kindhearted foster father, the girl begins borrowing. It has great acting, a wellconstructed storyline, and memorable moments. It gives a fresh perspective on world war iibased movies, of which there are many.
For max, these times are loaded with conflicting emotions. Meanwhile hans hides the jewish max vandenburg, who is the son of a. Nico liersch rudy on set movie interview screenslam. The book thief has its moments of brilliance, thanks in large part to an adept cast. Zusak, the book thief, which was on the list of bestsellers by the new york times for more than 230 weeks. Based on the bestseller by markus zusak, the film tells the story of liesel meminger. The book thief a movie by brian percival nealspaper. But the movie about a girl adopted by a german couple during world war ii also crystallizes the perils of. The book thief 20 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The film, directed by brian percival, follows liesel sophie nelisse. A search for an actress to play the eponymous book thief, liesel meminger, occurred across the world. Max, like liesel, comes to the story fresh from experiencing great loss.