Differences Between The Movie And The Book Thief

Hollywood adaptations of books often lose crucial details and characterization that result in books often being viewed as superior to their movies. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a prime example of this. Both the book and movie display a common theme of the power of words and express this theme though similar plots. However, the book is better because the details are greater, characterization is more thorough, and as the theme in both describes, words are power. The book and movie share very similar plots, however there are key details that progress the plot in different ways. To start, Liesel steals many more books in the book opposed of the movie. This is a major difference because Liesel stealing books is of course the basis of the

The book shows this theme by displaying the ways that words have changed Liesel's life. This has been both positive and negative. In a positive way, words have given Liesel knowledge. At the beginning of the book Liesel is illiterate, but not long after her discovery of The Grave Digger’s Handbook she learns to read These words allow Liesel to look at the world in a whole new light. However as she becomes more intellectual, she begins to realize the negative ways in which words have power. We start to see this transition on page 115, “‘Is my mother a communist?’ Staring. Straight ahead. ‘They were always asking her things, before I came here.’ Hans edged forward a little, forming the beginnings of a lie. ‘I have no idea - I never met her.’ ‘Did the Führer taker her away?’” In this quote, Liesel begins to realize the problems that Hitler cause and that his words and propaganda are the source to Liesel’s struggles. Both the book and movie display this theme, however the book emphasizes the positive ways that words are power more so than the movie does. The movie puts a greater emphasis on how words can control people in a negative aspect more than a positive aspect. This is a key difference between the book and