Viewed in
2009
Premise
In post-WWII Germany, a young man falls in love with an older woman, only to discover her hidden Nazi past.
Who should watch
Those who want to watch Kate Winslet's best performance. Also, those who want something overflowing with emotion and intellect.
Thoughts
An absolutely heart-wrenching and debate-inducing masterpiece.
Words cannot describe how awesome the story was, especially the middle and last act. The first act of the young man and Winslet's character falling in love was slightly unbelievable, but was the setup for the flood of sorrow and challenges.
My pre-view expectations was a film with a 'never forget the Holocaust' message, but then one of the characters does something unexpected, causing a chain for more unexpected actions/inactions from the others.
The themes and questions throughout the film were powerful and lingered with me long after the film. Do you punish the sin or the sinner? What is forgivable? Is it wrong to not forgive someone for something unforgivable?
I was impressed by all of that, but at the same time, there was a sad love story, also with room for interpretation.
Kate Winslet was amazing. I loved how her character was stoic most of the time, but she was able to portray all this subtle humanity and ambiguity. David Kross (who I mistook for William Moseley[King Peter of Narnia]) and Ralph Fiennes were excellent as well. I commend Winslet and Kross for baring their bodies for the sake of the film.
Of the five nominated, this was definitely 2008's Best Picture for me.
What I would change
Reduced the nudity. I thought the romance scenes were sensual enough and correctly showed the love story. I was afraid the nude scenes might distract from the greatness of this film.
