The Reader

Is it better to have loved, than to have never loved at all? That's the question that plagues young Michael Berg for the rest of his life.

Set in post-World War II Germany, 15-year-old Michael Berg (David Kross) falls ill from scarlet fever on his way home from school. Coming to his rescue is Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet), a woman nearly twice Michael's age. Hanna brings Michael home, and once recovered, he visits Hanna again to thank her for her kindness. A spark of interest ignites between them, and they begin a short, but heated affair based on secrecy and passion. Hanna dictates the entire relationship, making Michael read novels to her, and deciding when and where they will make love. They share very little of their personal lives, yet they are completely fascinated by each other. One day, however, Hanna mysteriously disappears, leaving Michael puzzled and heartbroken.

Eight years later, Michael is a law student overseeing a Nazi war-crimes trial. To his surprise, Hanna is one of the defendants. He is horrified to learn that the woman he once loved was a guard at Auschwitz. Throughout the trial, Michael wrestles with the guilt of caring for someone who caused so much harm to others, and can hardly imagine her as a Nazi monster. Michael also learns that while at the concentration camps, Hanna made prisoners read to her, just as Michael did for her. Michael later realizes that Hanna is illiterate. Was that why she was so secretive during their relationship? Did she take advantage of the fact that these prisoners were doomed, and that she could have them read to her just long enough before they'd hint at her secret?

Hanna is eventually sentenced to life in prison, and Michael spends the rest of his life reeling from the effect that Hanna had on his life.

One element that is so fascinating about the film is the fact that it deals with post-war Germany, and the guilt that the country felt after the Holocaust. The audience sees this guilt through Michael, who once loved and still cares for a former Nazi. Many Germans dealt with these same feelings of guilt. Can you stop loving someone, despite horrible actions they've committed? Can you still be proud of your family and country, despite a haunting past?

Another element discussed in the film is the generation gap between Germans during the war, and Germans after the war. Hanna represents the generation during Nazi-Germany, and Michael represents the generation that must deal with their country's past. Was Hanna partially attracted to Michael based on his ignorance of the Holocaust? This is left to the opinion of the audience.

During one particular scene of the film, a fellow law student of Michael's discusses the country's awareness of the Holocaust in a lecture, "Everyone goes on about what did they know. Who knew, what did they know? Everyone knew! Our parents, our teachers, that isn't the question! The question is, how could you let his happen? And why didn't you kill yourself when you found out?" The student claims that there were thousands of camps in Europe, and that no one could have been oblivious to the fact that people were being murdered. These feelings represent Michael's generation . . . students who were born during the war, and are now questioning their adult role-models. These young adults now feel anger towards the people they once looked up to, to the people they once thought were good. Are they still good people, even though they were involved in the Holocaust? Are they still good people, even if they didn't try to stop the horrors that were occurring? In Michael's particular case, can you still love someone, even if they were inhumane to others?

This is a brilliant film that discusses a period of German history that not many know about, and lets the audience constantly question the relationship between Hanna and Michael. Is it better to have loved, than to have never loved at all? That's for you to decide.