The Book Thief

What a wonderful book The Book Thief is. I remember that when I read it (it's been a few years) I absolutely loved it. The idea of the story being told by Death himself (I always thought of the narrating Death as a he and apparently so did the people making the film) was different and interesting. All the bitterness and hope that the story held made it a very rewarding reading experience, however sad the book may have made me.

Of course, they would make it into a film. And even though this is a valiant effort, there are just so many little things that didn't sit well with me, which took away immensely from the experience.

My biggest problem, one that almost made me turn off the film several time during the first half hour or so, is that most of the dialogue is in English - with German accent. Why? Can filmmakers please make up their minds. If you want to be realistic, you will have to have German speaking actors and subtitle the film. Or, if you want to tell the thing in English than fucking do so. Nobody needs to hear a German accents (and at times a bad imitation of one) to know that the people portrayed in the film are supposed to be Germans. I hated that!

And if you find a girl that can play the lead role and sort of master the accent (just imagine, they got an actual German boy to play a German boy!) why don't you give her anything to do but look at everything and everyone like a deer in headlights. She can do wide eyed. Bravo! Beyond that, we have no idea whether or not this girl can act.

All of this made me enjoy the movie far less than I should have, because it was a constant source of annoyance that kept me from actually getting into it.

Read the book instead.

3/10

Das Gasthaus an der Themse (The Inn on the River)

From 1959-1972 German company Rialto Film produced a whopping 38 films based on Edgar Wallace stories. When I was a kid, many of them would show during early afternoons on Sundays. I remember watching quite a few of them and as a consequence not being able to sort the stories apart in my head. I did vaguely remember a story with a killer using a harpoon to off his victims. Turns out, this is the one.

The personnel in many of the films - as well as this one - were similar, often including Joachim Fuchsberger as the good guy and on occasion the great Klaus Kinski as the bad one (or seemingly bad, on occasion). Comic relief (not that the film needed it) came from the wonderful Eddi Arent.

Of course, the stories are repetitive and the acting is not top of the line but the films offer are always quite enjoyable. Das Gasthaus an der Theme is actually one of the better in the series.

And the murderer turns out to be the one you least expect.

Ah, childhood memories!

7/10

Angst essen Seele auf (Ali: Fear Eats Soul)

This is the story of the relationship between Emmi and Ali.

Everyone around them disapproves of their love and subsequent marriage - her family and friends because Ali is an immigrant. As for Ali's friends, they appear to be pretty ambivalent about it, even though Emmi is considerably older than Ali.

Emmi's children give her hell, her work mates shun her at their lunch breaks and her grocer won't sell to her anymore. Nevertheless, the two try to stick it out.

But of course the two live in different worlds and they never really stood a chance.

Bleak and probably as true as it gets without getting overly violent.

7/10

Amen. aka Der Stellvertreter

The film Amen. is about an officer of the SS, aided by a priest, trying to alert the catholic church, opposing nations, anyone of the atrocities commited on the Jews in WWII Germany. It is based on true events, although the accuracy of the portrayal of the catholic church is under some scrutiny.

The film does spare out the actual gassing of Jews and is generelly very sparse on grisly imagery. Instead, it shows German military officials, well off people and religious figures having lavish meals as well as hurried meetings.

The cast is from across Europe, heavy on the German side (and it is always strange to hear Germans talking to other Germans in heavily accented English). The SS officer is played by Ulrich Tukur (wonderfully so) and the priest is portrayed by Mathieu Kassovitz (handsome, so handsome). The evil side is represented by the late, and always brilliant, Ulrich Mühe.

The most impressive images, for me anyway, are shots of trains going through scenery with empty cattle cars, followed by closed - and supposedly full - cars a few minutes later. This is repeated throughout the whole film to represent the incomprehensible numbers of people being transported to the concentration camps and - for most - to their deaths.

6/10