THE BOOK THIEF (2013) Movie Review
The Nazis victimized more than people.
Proverbs 31:8 - "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed." (NLT)
World War II makes one of the most horrific marks on history. A dark, looming cloud hovered over the entire world threatening to tear it apart. Millions of lives were lost. Liberties were violated. Discrimination was rampant. Violence lurked around every corner. Hate festered in many hearts. No one was safe, not even the citizens of Nazi Germany.
History focuses on concentration camps, the most horrific discovery of WWII. The Book Thief follows the journey of Liesel Meminger, a German foster child, as she adapts to her new family in a small town inhabited by Nazis. These German citizens are normal people who struggle to earn a living and live in fear in the midst of a war. They fear the enemy bombers above them and the German soldiers crowding their streets.
Oblivious to the horrors around them, they follow the orders of Hitler's soldiers in an effort to survive. They hang the Nazi flag, sing the anthems, and attend the rallies. They are forced to close their doors to outsiders. The men are drafted to fight a war they despise. Children are discouraged from learning certain subjects. They are even bullied into burning books.
In essence, the Nazi regime is breeding a country of thoughtless followers. Germans like everyone else are beaten into submission and brainwashed in order to guarantee they never form individual thoughts.
Ephesians 5:11 - "Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them." (NLT)
Not Liesel. She is a special girl. God gifts her with a natural thirst for knowledge. She learns to read and develops into an incredible writer. She finds her voice. She speaks out in a dangerous world and about a dangerous world. This is the same world that would happily silence her by any means possible.
This is the world in which we live, a corruption not exclusive to Nazi Germany. There are plenty of people in power who would happily silence us, intimidate us, or bully us. Would you lay down and let them steal your voice? Or will you be like Liesel and expose the evil through extraordinary means? Let God give you courage to do what is right.
