Ask Satan Anything

This is a historic day at ASA.  Please find our first post by one of my Minions, Lizzy Borden.  Our Film, Music & Book reviews will be a weekly feature on Tuesday.  Enjoy!  ~ Satan

Lizzy Borden Reviews the Film The Reader 

The Reader, 2008

Directed by Stephen Daldry. With Kate Winslet Ralph Fiennes, Jeanette Hain, David Kross.

 “Stupid or evil?”  This is a question I ponder often down here in my fiery lodgings. Stupid is the verdict as to why American audiences dismissed this movie.  It is disappointing, as evil is what I always hope for.

Be that as it may, “The Reader”, a quite brilliant story, asks too this same question of Hannah Schmitz, a former Nazi guard, portrayed by Kate Winslet.  Was she evil, or stupid?   Oh, but I get ahead of myself.

Let’s begin with well a deserved nod to screen writer, David Hare and Director, Stephen Daldry, for adapting to screen the sublime, hard read book by Bernhard Schlink.   Damn those two for undertaking and executing  well the transformation from difficult page to screen. Kudos again to Mr. Daldry for his choice of  the venerable Roger Deakins & Chris Menges for photography and Nico Muhly for original music.  A, symphony, if you will, necessary to combine all parts into one haunting concerto.  Let us not forget Miss Winslet who’s solo steals the show.

At 15 years old, Michael Berg, played by David Kross, has a sexually charged affair with Hannah (Winslet) a much older woman.   A summer that will forever change his life.  She, a brusk, hard woman teaches him well the pleasures of intimacy while he returns the favor by reading to her.  Both eagerly drink up the offerings of the other in her small, squalid apartment, day after day.  Michael knows nothing of Hannah’s life while she shows no interest in his outside of their world.  The affair ends abruptly much to Michael’s confusion and sorrow.

Periodically throughout the film, we meet Michael, grown up and isolated, deftly played by the laconic Ralph Feinnes who reflects back on his life through a series of well timed flashbacks.

The story continues a few years later as  Michael is now a young man in law school.  As part of his studies, he and a small group from his class travel to the trial of several female former Nazi guards, Hannah among them.  His horror in surpassed only by the knowledge  he realizes he posses that could possibly absolve Hannah from her alleged crimes.  Or does it?  Is she evil or is she stupid?

You decide for yourself. See this movie. Watch this movie. For Christ’s sake, I’m not asking you to read the book. Don’t be a stupid American.  I give this film four pentagrams.  

~ lizzy b

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