The plot of The Reader is essentially this: In 1958, a young man named Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes)falls in love with an older woman, Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet), and the two proceed to have a several month long affair. The two create a pattern of reading, bathing, and sex. This continues until Hanna unexpectedly leaves.
While we see this part of the story, we are also seeing a more present day Michael. He is clearly detached from those around him and has been permanently impacted by his relationship with Hanna.
The next time that we jump to is 1966. Michael is now a law student and in one of his classes they are covering a war crimes trial. This particular trial is for a group of female guards who, while on a death march, let hundreds of women burn to death in a church. Much to Michael's surprise, Hanna is one of the defendants. Michael must now confront his feelings for Hanna with the new information that she was a guard for the S.S. Now for the big secret part that I don't want to ruin, so drag your cursor to read. Along with the discovery that Hanna was an S.S. guard, Michael also discovers that Hanna is keeping a secret that she is more ashamed of than her Nazi past. When a letter is produced in court that is said to have been written by Hanna, and she will not write a sample to prove it wasn't her, Michael (and hopefully the audience) puts together the pieces to explain Hanna. Michael always read to her, Hanna would get the sick women to read to her in the camp, she would not produce a writing sample to prove some innocence, and she could not take a work promotion because it meant office work...all because Hanna is illiterate. This new information completely shifts your perspective of Hanna's character. She pleaded in court that she had no choice but to join the S.S. For Hanna this was true because she would have had to admit illiteracy when she turned down her promotion. It is amazing to think of the power that her shame of being illiterate had over her. Because she did not want to give a writing sample she admitted to the majority of responsibility for the church fire. As a result, she was given 20 years in prison while the other women got 4 years. After a few years have gone by, Michael starts sending Hanna cassette tapes of him reading books. He figured out his illiteracy and while he didn't say anything to change the outcome of the trial he still felt like he had to do something for her. Hanna greatly enjoyed the books on tape and eventually started to read along with them to teach herself how to read and write. When Hanna's release date comes up Michael is contacted so that he may help her adjust to the new world. The day before her release he goes to see her. She is thrilled to see him and to be able to thank him for the books, but when she realizes that they can't go back to their previous relationship of him reading to her she clearly does not wish to leave the prison. She goes back to her cell and hangs herself. Hanna has left all of her money to the survivor of the church fire who was the main witness in her trial. Michael takes the woman the money, and she does not want it. Michael decides that he will give it to a Jewish charity that focuses on adult literacy.
The Reader is a very good movie (better than I had expected). It is amazing how Hanna's secret has such power over her and it is quite exciting to see her overcome it.
Two quick notes: You will see A LOT of Kate Winslet in this movie. There is one sickening in he pit of your stomach scene where Michael walks through an old camp.
The Reader gets three kernels - a very powerful story and well acted.
No comments:
Post a Comment