Genre: Holocaust Drama
Director: Stephen Daldry
Starring: Kate Winslet, David Kross, Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz
Running Time: 124 minutes (plus trailers)
When the nominations at this years Academy Award were announced, some people got a little upset that yet another film about the Holocaust gets a chance at the gold, whereas a film like oh, say, to pull an example out of the air at random…The Dark Knight gets overlooked. Given that even single person on the internet (including myself) has already expressed their outrage at this, I will simply say that The Reader is probably the weakest of the Best Picture contenders, Stephen Daldry’s direction is nothing special, and that no, I don’t think either would have been nominated if the film didn’t deal with Hollywood's favourite genocide.
The film follows Michael Berg (David Kross), a teenage boy living in Germany in the late 1950’s. After falling ill, Michael is helped home by tram conductor Hannah Schmitz (Kate Winslet), and it is not long before the two begin a torrid love affair. For a time, they are happy, but soon the relationship begins to break down, and eventually Hannah disappears. Skip forward eight years and Michael is observing the trial of former SS Nazi prison guards as part of a seminar for law school. And wouldn’t you know it, there she is, accused of murdering hundreds of Jewish prisoners. To make matters worse, Michael has information about Hannah that could help her case, but she is determined that it remain secret. And thus; moral dilemma!
This isn’t a bad film. In fact, I would go so far as to call it a good film. But it is not great, and it is certainly not Oscar worthy. The film has a very definite, very conventional three act structure. In the first, we follow the affair (which by the way contains copious amounts of nudity). In the second and probably strongest act, we see the trial and explore the idea of German guilt over the crimes of the Nazis. And in the final act, we see an adult Michael (now played by Ralph Fiennes) reforming his bond with the aged Hannah. The way the movie has been cut into three parts like this causes it to feel rather disjointed; you can’t help think back on it as three different short films. The direction by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours) is fine, but not memorable, and when compared to some of the other directors nominated (David Fincher for Ben Button, Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire) his technique seems very dull. Of all the other nominations, I would compare this film most to Frost/Nixon. Both were good movies, but at the same they are both such standard dramas that have nothing to distinguish them from the hundreds of other standard dramas that came before them, and the hundreds of standard dramas that will no doubt come after them. This film, like Frost/Nixon, wants to win an academy award. That is why it was made, and you can tell.
One thing that was definitely better than good was the acting. Ralph Fiennes is excellent, although the films deceptive marketing campaign makes it seem as though he plays a much bigger part than he actually does. In fact, if it wasn’t for the occasional flash-forward, he would only be in about a quarter of the film. For the most part, Michael is played by eighteen year old German actor David Kross, who does a very impressive job of holding his ground against one of the best actresses of our time (and the feat is made doubly impressive due to the fact that he had to learn English for the role.) The other actor who really impresses here is Bruno Ganz as Michaels law professor. Ganz is best known for his extraordinary portrayal of Adolf Hitler in Der Untergang (Downfall). But now, the main attraction.
Kate Winslet. We meet again. I wasn’t a big fan of Revolutionary Road (click here for my review), but I did think that she was absolutely stunning in that film. In fact, I actually think she was better there than here, but of course she wins the Oscar for the Nazi movie. Never the less, she is undeniably powerful in The Reader, and it’s good to see that she is willing to continually take on complex and difficult roles (although one suspects she just really wanted to win that award). Her performance is terrific not only become of the physical and emotional vulnerability her character displays, but because in the end the audience does not like her. Hannah Schmitz is unkind, manipulative, and as we eventually discover, a killer. Some critics have reacted negatively to this film because they say attempts to make you feel sympathetic towards the Nazi’s, or at least, a Nazi. I disagree; I didn’t sympathize with her, I hated her, and that is a testament to Winslet’s ability as an actress.
The Reader, as I previously mentioned, is good. The simple fact remains however that there are so many films about the Holocaust that are just so much better (including the aforementioned German movie Downfall, which I cannot recommend enough.) The only thing in this film really worth taking notice of is Winslet, but I don’t even think this is her best work. I’ve given this film quite a good rating, and I certainly wouldn’t tell anyone not to see it. On the other hand, I have no interest in ever seeing it again, and I suspect that before long it will fade from my mind.
Except for that first act.
