The Book Thief DVD 2013 Die Bücherdiebin / Directed by Brian Percival / Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Sophie Nélisse

UPC 4010232062796

REGION 2 PAL DVD 

MADE IN GERMANY

AUDIO: German 5.1, English 5.1

SUBTITLES: German, Turkish, English HOH

Total Runtime: 126 minutes

English Summary:

The Book Thief is a 2013 World War II war drama film directed by Brian Percival and starring Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, and Sophie Nélisse. The film is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Markus Zusak and adapted by Michael Petroni. The film is about a young girl living with her adoptive German family during the Nazi era. Taught to read by her kind-hearted foster father, the girl begins "borrowing" books and sharing them with the Jewish refugee being sheltered by her foster parents in their home. The film features a musical score by Oscar-winning composer John Williams.

In February 1938, a male voice, representing Death itself, tells about how the young Liesel Meminger has piqued his interest. In one of the opening scenes, twelve-year-old Liesel is traveling with her mother and younger brother on a train. On the way, her brother dies and is buried next to the tracks. Liesel steals her first book, titled The Grave Digger's Handbook, when it falls out of the gravedigger's pocket. Liesel is then brought to her new home in Munich, where she meets her new foster parents Rosa Hubermann and Hans Hubermann. Rudy Steiner, a boy who lives next door, accompanies her on her first day of school. When the teacher asks Liesel to write her name on the chalkboard, she is only able to write three Xs, revealing to her classmates that she is unable to write. She is taunted by her schoolmates who chant "dummkopf" ("dunce") at her. One of the boys, Franz Deutscher, challenges her to read just one word to which Liesel responds by beating him up. She impresses Rudy, and they become fast friends. When Hans, her foster father, realizes that Liesel cannot read, he begins to teach her, using the book that she took from the graveside, and a giant chalkboard. Liesel becomes captivated with reading anything she can.

Liesel and Rudy become members of the Hitler Youth movement. While at a Nazi book burning ceremony, Liesel and Rudy are harassed by Franz into throwing books onto the bonfire, but Liesel is upset to see the books being burned. When the bonfire ends and everyone leaves, Liesel is still there and she grabs a book that has been only singed. She is seen by Ilsa Hermann, wife of the Burgermeister (mayor). When Rosa asks Liesel to take the laundry to the mayor's spacious, gated house, she realizes that the woman who saw her taking the book is the mayor's wife. Instead, Ilsa takes her into their library and tells Liesel she can come by anytime and read as much as she'd like. One day Liesel is found reading by the mayor, who not only puts a stop to her visits but dismisses Rosa as their laundress.

German Summary:

Die Bücherdiebin (Originaltitel: The Book Thief) ist ein US-amerikanisch-deutsches Filmdrama von Regisseur Brian Percival aus dem Jahr 2013 mit Sophie Nélisse in der Hauptrolle. Es handelt sich um eine Literaturverfilmung des Romans Die Bücherdiebin von Markus Zusak.

Als Off-Stimme erzählt der Tod rückblickend, wie im April 1938 die neunjährige Liesel Meminger sein Interesse geweckt hatte. Auf einer Zugfahrt mit ihrer Mutter und ihrem jüngeren Bruder stirbt dieser. Bei der Beerdigung findet Liesel neben dem Grab ein Buch, es ist ein Handbuch für Totengräber. Liesel kommt dann zu ihren Pflegeeltern Hans und Rosa Hubermann, weil ihre Mutter, eine Kommunistin, in Gefahr gerät.

Im neuen Zuhause beeindruckt sie den Nachbarjungen Rudi Steiner. Er begleitet sie an ihrem ersten Schultag. Als die Lehrerin Liesel bittet, ihren Namen an die Tafel zu schreiben, kann sie nur drei X malen, denn sie kann weder schreiben noch lesen. Von den Schulkameraden wird sie daraufhin mit „Dummkopf“ gehänselt. Liesel wehrt sich aber. Rudi und sie werden Freunde. Als ihr Pflegevater Hans merkt, dass Liesel nicht lesen kann, bringt er ihr mithilfe des Totengräber-Buchs das Lesen bei. Liesel wird von da an verrückt nach Büchern und liest alles, was sie in die Finger bekommen kann.

Liesel und Rudi kommen in die Hitlerjugend und werden bei einer Bücherverbrennung der Nazis gezwungen, Bücher ins Feuer zu werfen. Als die Menschen sich verlaufen haben, nimmt sie ein nicht verbranntes Buch an sich und wird dabei von Ilsa Hermann, der Frau des Bürgermeisters, beobachtet. Hans erfährt, dass Liesel ein Buch mitgenommen hat, und schärft ihr ein, niemandem davon zu erzählen.

Cast / Besetzung:

• Geoffrey Rush as Hans Hubermann, Liesel's kind-hearted foster father
• Sophie Nélisse as Liesel Meminger, the titular "book thief"
• Emily Watson as Rosa Hubermann, Liesel's bad-tempered foster mother
• Nico Liersch as Rudy Steiner, Liesel's best friend and love interest
• Ben Schnetzer as Max Vanderburg
• Heike Makatsch as Liesel's mother
• Barbara Auer as Ilsa Hermann, the burgermeister's (mayor's) wife
• Roger Allam as Death, the film's narrator
• Sandra Nedeleff as Sarah
• Hildegard Schroedter as Frau Becker
• Rafael Gareisen as Walter Kugler, Max's best friend
• Gotthard Lange as the gravedigger
• Godehard Giese as the policeman on the train
• Oliver Stokowski as Alex Steiner, Rudy's father
• Levin Liam as Franz Deutscher, bully and leader of Rudy's Hitler Youth squad
• Carina Wiese as Barbara Steiner, Rudy's mother