This is a very strange movie in that there are MANY moral dilemmas and situations that clearly are unsavory--yet the film takes a completely neutral stance in presenting the plot. I am sure this offended some but it did make for a very memorable film. As for me, I am still not sure what I think about this strange style of film making.
The movie begins with a 16 year-old boy being seduced by a much older woman. The morality of this and their subsequent affair never seems to matter---it just is. During this time, the older woman (Kate Winslet) was often quite moody and the boy's welfare really didn't seem that important. Also, she would force him to read to him before they had sex. Why is an important part of the film--and frankly, though it was apparently supposed to be a twist, I figure this out immediately. However, this didn't spoil the film.
One day, Winslet disappears. Exactly why you really don't know. The boy grows and is now in law school. As part of one of his seminar classes, he and the class go to court to observe. The case involves some Nazi war criminals--and it turns out Winslet is among the defendants. And, the fact that she had other 'readers' finally makes the young man realize why. Winslet (this is NOT much of a spoiler) is illiterate. Yet, she is so ashamed of this, she is willing to accept a much longer sentence to hide her illiteracy. And, during her long incarceration, the ex-lover (now played by Ralph Fiennes) makes it his life duty to record book after book for her to enjoy while incarcerated. There's a bit more to the film than this, but I'll leave it up to you to see for yourself.
The movie has some excellent acting, though I did wonder why the leads were played by non-Germans--while some other major characters were German-speaking actors (like the Swiss-born Bruno Ganz). I wonder why they didn't just have Germans in all the roles. Perhaps they thought it was more bankable with Fiennes and Winslet. The moody music and direction were perhaps the best part of the film, however---very evocative and well done.
As for the plot, I cannot completely reconcile myself with the fact that the film appeared to possibly condone or was indifferent to evil. Sexual exploitation of a teen and the holocaust are BAD....REEEEAAAL bad! And that made me a bit uneasy, as I enjoyed the film and the odd plot. Also, I felt that it was a shame there was so much nudity, as I would love for teens to see the film--it would be great to show them to instigate discussions and provoke exploration.
A weird and unique film. Hard to really describe and one you may enjoy but also one that may prove too challenging--as I could really see this causing some viewers to become angry, depressed or too emotionally taxing.
By the way, was it just me or am I right that it seems that Fiennes' character wasted his life? And, interestingly, Fiennes also starred in the excruciatingly dull "The English Patient"--another VERY morally ambiguous film about the Nazis and moral choices.
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