Sugar-coating an Unbearable Truth

In the film The Book Thief, the audience sees the horrors of war and persecution through the eyes of  child protagonist, Liesel.   With "Death" as narrator and a Tyrolean village as backdrop, many critics feel that the film's fairytale motifs diminish and sugar-coat the horrific tragedy of the Holocaust.  Some label Liesel's performance bland and find scenes of Jewish persecution overshadowed by the romantic subplot of Liesel's attachment to Rudy and her love for Max.

As a American Jew born in the '40's, I experienced the Holocaust
vicariously through the literary works of Anne Frank, Leon Uris, Arthur Miller and Eli Wiesel, to name a few.  This period of time  left an indelible mark on my soul, never to be forgotten, and yet I see Liesel's coming of age
and naivety at a time when the world has gone mad, more realistic than not.

The film (geared towards teens) introduces us to a non-Jewish child on the brink of puberty going to live with foster parents in a small German village indoctrinated by Nazi-ism.  Separated from her mother (a communist) and chided for being illiterate, Liesel overcomes adversity with the help of her foster father, Hans, and her schoolmate, Rudy. 

As she begins to fit in and adapt, she becomes more observant 
watching . . .listening.  She also becomes more confident and defiant witnessing Nazi book burning and smashing of store windows.  Unlike Anne Frank who is forced to wear a yellow star and eventually go into hiding, Liesel safely hides behind her role as spectator watching cruelty and persecution from the sidelines.  It is through Rudy, Max and the humanitarian efforts of her foster family and friends  that Liesel fully comprehends  the reality of which she is a part
and against which she must fight to change.


Granted, the chilling effects of war and extreme cruelty are cushioned by a Sound of Music tone and happily-ever-after ending.  Nonetheless, if making an unbearable moment in history palatable enough for young people as well adults to stop, take note and hopefully learn from this, then a little sugar-coating to sweeten the bitter truth of the past works.