After reading and falling in love with The Book Thief (read my review), I saw the movie in theaters. I thought it was brilliant, to say the least.

This is what I loved: 

CAST

The actors/actresses in the movie were the characters. At least, I thought the characters were really brought to life on screen, and were exactly as I’d imagined them. 

In the book, the characters are well-developed and have layered personalities. Leisel is both strong and vulnerable. Rosa Hubermann is both callous and caring.

So I was so pleased to see that this movie preserved the nuances of personality and the overall originality of each character.

SET

I looked forward to every scene which took place in the basement of the Hubermann household. I enjoyed watching Leisel’s dictionary of words grow throughout the movie.

ALSO…

Death’s narration was stunning.

I thought the subtle passage of time was really well done.

If you’ve read the book but haven’t seen the movie, SEE IT. If you’ve seen the movie but haven’t read the book, READ IT.