Compassion and Forgiveness at the core of “The Reader”
Hanna Schmitz, as played by Kate Winslet in what will probably be the Oscar-winning performance by a leading female actress at the award ceremony on Friday, is a desolate, scarred soul. She has a secret that will be uncovered during the course of the movie, but from the very first instant we see her, we notice the glaze in her eyes, the intense concentration she puts on small events, the weariness with life that is alleviated by the wonder of hearing others read fantastic tales of literature to her.
As the movie progresses, Hanna is put on trial for Nazi era crimes, and we feel a mix of horror and recoil from this simple-minded person who cannot comprehend the nature of her crimes (seducing an under-age boy, Michael in the first segment of the movie was just a start).
She ends up in prison partly because Michael (played very naturally by the talented David Kross) is apalled at what he learns and chooses not to disclose a vital piece of evidence that could save her. He walks away. But his life also falls apart. He is haunted by his lack of compassion for this woman who was his first love (albeit under false pretenses). He fails to connect to his wife or his daughter.
The adult Michael (played by the handsome Ralph Fiennes), revives by finding the fountain of compassion within his soul. He reaches out to help and teach a Hanna who still disgusts him. And he flowers with this act of kindess.
The ending of the movie (which I will not disclose) complicates things as Michael finds his embarrasment a deterrent for a more complete forgiveness, resulting in disastrous consequences.
But the compassion he shows for Hanna while she is in prison will stay with me for a long time. For such acts are what brings out the divine within each of us and brings us happiness as we align with our soul.
“The Counterfeiters” is quite bland
This movie, which was part of the official competition for the Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale) in 2007, won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film this year, so I was expecting a spectacular film; especially since the Academy chose to not even nominate exceptional films like “4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days”.
However, the movie disappoints because it is so predictable. The Nazi horrors and despicable treatment of the Jews in concentration camps has been done many times - so to see the same story repeated here is not very new. The twist is that our protagonist, Salomon, is an exceptional counterfeiter, and so manages to take a team with him to a special ward in the concentration camp where they are given priveliges, such as warm beds, food and the chance to live.
Although this is interesting in the beginning, part of the movie’s problem is that the characters are so black and white. The Germans are racist brutes, while the Jews are brotherly and form a natural comaraderie, looking out for one another. Salomon forms a treacly relationship with several prisoners, including a young man who he treats like a son, trying desperately to protect his life. Yet we never really seem to get inside Salomon’s head - what makes him tick? I felt an emotional distance through the movie which made it less moving than it should have been.
Honorable and important story, but I wish the screeplay and acting had been more complex and interesting.