The Book Theif Movie Review Essay Example

The Book Theif Movie Review Essay The Book Thief Movie Review BY Burglar,98 The Book Thief It all started with a train, some snow and my brother A man with an accordion heart and a woman cloaked In thunder, lathing their new daughters arrival on a street named after Heaven. From the beloved, best-selling novel by Markus Sack, comes the Oscar-winning film directed by Brian Percival, The Book Thief, starring Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson and Sophie NÂ ©else. Set in 1938 (shortly after the rise of Adolph Hitler), a mysterious narrator (voiced by Robert Alum) tells the story of a young girl named Lease Melange (Sophie NÂ ©else) who steals The Gravediggers Handbook from a young grave digger, thus starting her love affair with books the beginning to an illustrious career; a career that will end with Lilies defying the society and sparking courage in the hearts of those around her. Meanwhile in the basement of her home a Jewish refugee (Max) is being sheltered by her adoptive parents. The mysterious narrator of the film who we later discover Is Death (or the Grim Repaper expresses the themes of Darkness and The Power of Words through the harassers such as Rudy Steiner, Max Vandenberg (portrayed by Ben Schnauzer) and Hans Hibernate (Geoffrey Rush) in the film, as well as the actions. Death is merely an invisible presence in the film, who finds himself captured in the beauty of Lilies Engineer. Death has a darkly witty and sardonic nature in The Book Thief, as well as his gentler, nourishing side, which we see when he tells of the sadness he feels as he collects the many souls who pass through his arms during the film. We will write a custom essay sample on The Book Theif Movie Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Book Theif Movie Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Book Theif Movie Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer All 3 characters who embody the themes of Darkness and The Power of Words also demonstrate the trudge of an individual against the prevailing ideology of his/her constricted society. We start with Rudy, Lisles first friend in the town of Mulching, Germany. With his blonde hair and blue eyes and his athletic and Intellectual genius, he makes for the perfect Nazi soldier. But because of his naivety and obliviousness to the real horrors of World War II, he truly does not see the harm in wanting to be the fastest man alive like his favorite Olympic relay champion, Jesse Owens (who happened to be an African American man). This proves to be the struggle for Rudy Steiner as he tries to discover his identity in the midst of the chaos and ongoing sadness In Mulching. He goes against his society by demonstrating his love for Jesse Owens, despite the fact that his father tries to explain to him how Wanting to be black Is bad news. Near the end of the movie, he is signed up for a training camp for young Nazi soldiers, and in an attempt to escape the training, runs away into the forest with Lilies for a while, expressing their hatred for Hitler before returning home. When Lilies finally confesses to Rudy that her family is hiding a Jewish person in their basement, Rudy remains faithful to her and stays silent. Story tells us, Mans father sacrificed himself to save Lisles adopted father Hans from the first World War, and therefore owed Mans father a favor; in this case, keeping Max in their basement as refuge from the Jewish concentration camps. The symbol of darkness that we see in the film reflects the most in Mans character; Max hides in the Hibernates house for several years to escape Nazi soldiers, but all the while still managing to stay alive in the darkness of the basement. The darkness of the story in this circumstance represents both fear and safety simultaneously. Max is also the second person (along with Hans Hibernate) who inspires Lilies to read and write in fact, he paints over every page in his copy of Mien Kampala (which initially saved his life) so that Lilies would have a book to write in. He inspires Lilies to speak with her eyes when she writes, and helps to create a unique new sense as she discovers the wonders of how powerful words can be. Last but not least, we introduce Hans Hibernate, the lovable foster father of Lilies with the accordion heart. He is the first person to show compassion towards Lilies upon her arrival in Mulching, by being kind-hearted and gentle, nicknaming her your majesty on her first day with him and his wife, Rosa. He discovers her copy of The Grave-Diggers handbook on her third night at the house, and he insists on bonding with her by proposing that they read the book together. After they finish the first book, she secretly steals another one from a large pile of burning books a symbol of he destruction of the books that ruined the minds of children in the Nazi party. After the two book-lovers finish the second book, Hans surprises Lilies with a gift: A blackboard dictionary, so she can write down all the words shes learnt. This is significant in the way that he almost creates an alternate reality for her to live in, which is somehow illegal because of the laws against specific books. Its also significant in the reflection that he creates the dictionary in the basement, where Max is set to be refugee later in the film. This creates a deeper meaning to both themes in he film, in the sense that it weaves the basement and its darkness further into the meaning of the story, as well as the power of the words that Lilies introduces to Max when he does take refuge downstairs. l have seen a great many things. Eve attended all the worlds worst disasters. And worked for the greatest of villains. And Eve seen the greatest of wonders. But its still like I said it was. No one lives forever. When I finally came for Lilies, I took self- pleasure in the knowledge that she had lived her 90 years so wisely. By then, her Tories had touched many souls; some of them I came to know in passing. Max, whose friendship lasted almost as long as Lilies Almost. In her final thoughts, she saw the long list of loves that merged with hers: Her three children, her grandchildren, her husband Among them, lit like lanterns, were Hans and Rosa, her brother, and the boy whose hair remained the color of lemons forever. I wanted to tell The Book Thief she was one of the few souls that made me wonder what it was to live. But in the end, there were no words. Only peace. The only truth I know is that I am haunted by humans

The Mexican-American War

The Mexican-American War From 1846 to 1848, the United States of America and Mexico went to war. There were several reasons why they did so, but the most important ones were the US annexation of Texas and the Americans desire for California and other Mexican territories. The Americans took the offensive, invading Mexico on three fronts: from the north through Texas, from the east through the port of Veracruz and into the west (present-day California and New Mexico). The Americans won every major battle of the war, mostly thanks to superior artillery and officers. In September  1847, American General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City: this was the final straw for the Mexicans, who finally sat down to negotiate. The war was disastrous for Mexico, as it was forced to sign away nearly half of its national territory, including California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of several other current US states. The Western War American President James K. Polk intended to invade and hold the territories he wanted, so he sent General Stephen Kearny west from Fort Leavenworth with 1,700 men to invade and hold New Mexico and California. Kearny captured Santa Fe and then divided his forces, sending a large contingent south under Alexander Doniphan. Doniphan would eventually take the city of Chihuahua. Meanwhile, the war had already begun in California. Captain John C. Frà ©mont had been in the region with 60 men: they organized American settlers in California to revolt against the Mexican authorities there. He had the support of some US navy vessels in the area. The struggle between these men and the Mexicans went back and forth for a few months until Kearny arrived with what was left of his army. Although he was down to fewer than 200 men, Kearny made the difference: by January of 1847 the Mexican northwest was in American hands. General Taylors Invasion American General Zachary Taylor was already in Texas with his army waiting for hostilities to break out. There was already a large Mexican army on the border as well: Taylor routed it twice in early May of 1846 at the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. During both battles, superior American artillery units proved the difference. The losses forced the Mexicans to retreat to Monterrey: Taylor followed and took the city in September of 1846. Taylor moved to the south and was engaged by a massive Mexican army under the command of General Santa Anna at the Battle of Buena Vista on February 23, 1847: Taylor once again prevailed. The Americans hoped that they had proved their point: Taylors invasion had gone well and California was already securely under control. They sent envoys to Mexico in the hopes of ending the war and gaining the land they desired: Mexico would have none of it. Polk and his advisors decided to send yet another army into Mexico and General Winfield Scott was selected to lead it. General Scotts Invasion The best route to get to Mexico City was to go through the Atlantic port of Veracruz. In March of 1847, Scott began landing his troops near Veracruz. After a short siege, the city surrendered. Scott marched inland, defeating Santa Anna at the Battle of Cerro Gordo on April 17-18 along the way. By August Scott was at the gates of Mexico City itself. He defeated the Mexicans at the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco on August 20, gaining a toehold into the city. The two sides agreed to a brief armistice, during which time Scott hoped the Mexicans would finally negotiate, but Mexico still refused to sign away its territories to the north. In September of 1847, Scott attacked once again, crushing the Mexican fortification at Molino del Rey before assaulting the Chapultepec Fortress, which was also the Mexican Military Academy. Chapultepec guarded the entrance to the city: once it fell the Americans were able to take and hold Mexico City. General Santa Anna, seeing that the city had fallen, retreated with what troops he had left to unsuccessfully try and cut the American supply lines near Puebla. The major combat phase of the war had ended. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Mexican politicians and diplomats were finally forced to negotiate in earnest. For the next few months, they met with American diplomat Nicholas Trist, who had been ordered by Polk to secure all of the Mexican northwest in any peace settlement. In February of 1848, the two sides agreed on the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico was forced to sign over all of California, Utah, and Nevada as well as parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming and Colorado in exchange for $15 million dollars and exoneration of about $3 million more in previous liability. The Rio Grande was established as the border of Texas. People living in these territories, including several tribes of Native Americans, reserved their properties and rights and were to be given US citizenship after a year. Lastly, future disagreements between the US and Mexico would be settled by mediation, not warfare. Legacy of the Mexican-American War Although it is often overlooked in comparison with the American Civil War, which broke out about 12 years later, the Mexican-American War was just as important to American History. The massive territories gained during the war make up a large percentage of present-day United States. As an added bonus, gold was discovered shortly thereafter in California which made the newly acquired lands even more valuable. The Mexican-American War was in many ways a precursor to the Civil War. Most of the important Civil War Generals fought in the Mexican-American War, including Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, George Meade, George McClellan, Stonewall Jackson and many others. The tension between the slave states of the southern USA and the free states of the north was made worse by the addition of so much new territory: this hastened the onset of the Civil War. The Mexican-American War made the reputations of future US Presidents. Ulysses S. Grant, Zachary Taylor, and Franklin Pierce all fought in the war, and James Buchanan was Polks Secretary of State during the war. A Congressman named Abraham Lincoln made a name for himself in Washington by vocally opposing the war. Jefferson Davis, who would become President of the Confederate States of America, also distinguished himself during the war. If the war was a bonanza for the United States of America, it was a disaster for Mexico. If Texas is included, Mexico lost more than half of its national territory to the USA between 1836 and 1848. After the bloody war, Mexico was in ruins physically, economically, politically and socially. Many peasant groups took advantage of the chaos of war to lead uprisings all over the country: the worst was in Yucatan, where hundreds of thousands of people were killed. Although Americans have forgotten about the war, for the most part, many Mexicans are still irate about the theft of so much land and the humiliation of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Even though there is no realistic chance of Mexico ever reclaiming those lands, many Mexicans feel they still belong to them. Because of the war, there was much bad blood between the USA and Mexico for decades: relations did not begin to improve until World War Two, when Mexico decided to join the Allies and make common cause with the USA. Sources: Eisenhower, John S.D. So Far from God: the U.S. War with Mexico, 1846-1848. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1989 Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007. Wheelan, Joseph. Invading Mexico: Americas Continental Dream and the Mexican War, 1846-1848. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2007.