Text: Text: Richard James Smith

The Reader tackles sensitive subjects through two intricate characters, Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet) and Michael Berg (David Kross and Ralph Fiennes). Beginning in post WWII Germany, the characters first meet when 15 year old Michael is suffering from nausea on his way back home from school and is quickly cleaned up and taken home by Hanna.

A thankful but shy Michael starts to visit with Hanna and eventually an affair ensues instigated by Hanna and enthusiastically pursued by the pubescently eager Michael. The relationship becomes much more intense and passionate and Hanna structures their time by starting each meeting with Michael reading to her everything from Tin Tin to The Odyssey to The Lady and the Little Dog.

The relationship continues but later jealousies take hold and the relationship ends abruptly as Hanna leaves for a job elsewhere without notifying Michael. Michael is left heartbroken as only a 15 year old can be for his first love.

The movie travels back and forth through different eras; from the 1950’s when Michael is a young boy, to his time as a law student in the 1960’s, later as a husband going through a separation and lastly as a mature man trying to forge a more open and honest relationship with his daughter.

In the years as a law student, Michael comes in to contact with Hanna. She is on trial for war crimes for which he never knew she had committed. He is tormented by his affection for her and for the crimes she had committed. Michael has a piece of information that could seriously improve Hanna’s sentencing; in fact, the only piece of information that she herself has withheld due to embarrassment.

The story is brought to life with a stellar and Oscar winning performance from Kate Winslet who plays Hanna throughout the film and I believe an equally flawless performance from 18 year old David Kross. The filming of the sex scenes had to wait until David reached the age of eighteen and I’ll tell you one thing…he certainly has the equipment needed for the full frontal scenes!

The movie doesn’t force you in to excuses or explanations as you struggle with your own morals, at times in parallel with Michael as he tries to digest the atrocities in which Hanna was involved. And yet we try to understand Hanna’s character; perhaps the pity I felt was her inability to embrace life and her emotions outside of her relationship with Michael.

There are many critics who would hasten to berate this film for laying a forgiving eye on Germans who took such positions as Hanna in the Holocaust but I beg to differ. I interpret Hanna’s character as one who mentally suffered a self-committed life sentence of remorse and therefore tried to methodically get through her life post Holocaust. She seems to be constantly guarded and a little wary of anybody knowing her business from the moment she appears in the movie until the end.

Hanna’s only pleasures in life are to be read to and her brief affair with Michael. During later prison scenes we smile at her enjoyment of being read to once more in life – should we feel guilty for enjoying this… or are we forever wishing the worst on those who are/were paying for their crimes? We are left with a dilemma; a crisscross of feelings for the characters’ positions, actions, crimes and passions which I believe is refreshing. It’s hard to comprehend what it was like being a German during World War II versus a German born in later generations when their is no explanation that would make the holocaust forgivable.