Our resources are designed to be used with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org
Film guide
The Book Thief
US/Germany | 2013 | Cert. 12 | 131 mins
Director: Brian Percival
A girl’s passion for books helps her find a
respite from the horrors of Nazi Germany
in this adaptation of a bestselling novel.
Illiterate when she’s sent to live with
foster parents in the late 1930s, Liesel
soon becomes obsessed with the
escapism provided by the written word.
This intensifies when she starts sharing
stories with a Jewish refugee taken in by
her foster family.
20th Century Fox © (2013) All rights reserved.
You will like this film if you liked
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008, 12)
Miramax Films © (2008) All rights reserved.
Watch next
Grave of the Fireflies (1988, 12)
Studio Canal © (2013) All rights reserved.
Talk about it (before the film)
What do you know about the lives of ordinary German families during
World War Two? What challenges would have been faced by those who
did not support Hitler?
Talk about it (after the film)
• One of the key scenes in the film is the book burning rally. How
is this staged, and what effect does it have on Liesel and her
developing interest in reading?
• How does the film’s musical score help to move the narrative along
and add to the emotion of the film? What words would you use to
describe it?
• The film is narrated by Death. What is the purpose of this unusual
narration, and why does Death tell us that he is particularly
interested in Liesel’s story?
• Do you think that literature (and other art forms) can still be
powerful? Why might certain people attempt to suppress their
impact? Can you think of any current examples in the world where
events like the book burning rally might be taking place?
Write about it
Bring your ideas together in a review and share it on our Into Film clubs’
website. You could include a summary of the story, mention other films
that it’s similar to, describe what you particularly liked or disliked and
give it your star rating.
Extension Activities
Watch Into Film’s interview with the film’s director Brian Percival and
actor Emily Watson as they explain their experience of making this
adaptation: www.bit.ly/BTSTheBookThief
intofilm.org
Into Film is a trading name of Film Nation UK. Registered Charity number 1154030.