Classics: A Review of The Book Thief By Lauren Ennis

The suppression and destruction of the written word has been the hallmark of totalitarian regimes throughout the ages. One of the most brutal and infamous examples of such censorship was the book burning conducted in Nazi Germany. The 2013 drama The Book Thief tells the story of a young girl who finds solace in the very books that she is told to destroy as she comes of age under the shadow of the Third Reich. This tale of hardship and hope is a love letter to literature that is guaranteed to have you rushing to the nearest library and reaching for a pen and paper. 

The story begins in 1938 Germany as Liesel Meminger travels to meet her foster parents following the arrests of her communist parents and death of her younger brother. Fortunately she quickly forms a bond with her foster parents, gruff but loving laundress Rosa and gentle painter Hans. When she is bullied at school for being illiterate, Hans begins teaching her to read and she quickly develops a passion for literature. To escape the political oppression surrounding her she escapes into the freedom of stories. She then risks her own safety by stealing books from the town's book burnings and borrowing censored books from Rosa's customers. When Hans and Rosa hide a Jewish teenager, Max, in their basement Liesel is mortified to discover the full horror of the regime that she and her family are living under. Even as darkness closes in all around her, however, she uses the power of stories to make her own light and share it with those around her.  

In the classic film Dead Poets Society Robin Williams famously declared that "words and ideas can change the world", a message that The Book Thief illustrates in each moment of its over two hour running time. While the books that Liesel reads do not change the devastating reality unfolding around her they do provide her with the tools necessary to survive that reality with her integrity and humanity intact. Through the stories that she reads she finds an escape from the cruelty around her and gains vital insight into a world beyond the Third Reich. In this way, she is able to access ideas that directly counter the indoctrination that she is subjected to and learn to see the world as something other than the Nazis' sinister vision. Similarly, books provide her with a community beyond the reach of the state as she bonds with Hans, Max, and even the mayor's wife, Elsa over their shared love of reading. When she begins to create her own stories Liesel employs the lessons that she has learned to create a new, more just, world of her own which she uses to inspire those around her. In one of the film's most poignant moments Max credits Liesel's stories and friendship with keeping him alive. Through their ability to inform, inspire, comfort, and bind us together stories have the power to help us not only survive but thrive even in the most adverse of circumstances. It is this power that makes the written word so vital and so dangerous. Book burnings may have ended but the instinct behind them remains all too present. With each passing day more books are being suppressed before they can even be published while beloved stories are being banned by the shelf full. There are indeed dangers hidden between the pages of these titles, but not the dangers of violence and hate that the censors claim to be protecting us from. The threat that these modern book burners fear is the same one that drove their predecessors; the power of literature to free the mind. Even as books burnings have returned in a new form,  however, so too have a new generation of book thieves. It is time that the woke mob awakened to the knowledge that pages may burn but, as Liesel reminds us, the ideas that they express can never be fully canceled.

Thanks to the work of its stellar cast the film manages to relate an inspiring tale even as it transports viewers to the darkest days of the twentieth century. Nico Liersch is a delight in his endearing performance as Liesel's best friend and would-be suitor, Rudy. Ben Schnetzer lends gravitas to the proceedings in his world weary turn as the Jewish refugee who becomes Liesel's mentor, Max. Emily Watson steals each scene in which she appears in her by turns humorous and heartbreaking portrayal of the prickly Rosa. Geoffrey Rush infuses Hans with a warmth, wisdom, and moral uprightness to rival Atticus Finch. Sophie Nelisse carries the weight of the film upon her young shoulders as she expertly personifies Liesel's trauma, passion, resilience, and optimism in a mature performance that belies her years.

At one point in the novel The Book Thief Liesel wonders "when the books and the words started to mean not just something, but everything". Through its engrossing script and engaging performances The Book Thief highlights the vital role that stories play in bringing people together even as everything around them threatens to tear them apart. In its inspiring portrayal of one girl's resilience in the midst of oppression the film offers vital insight into the past and a dire warning for the future. After just one viewing your heart is guaranteed to have been stolen by The Book Thief.

Classics: A Review of The Queen's Gambit By Lauren Ennis

 Chess is a game made up of sixty-four squares, thirty-two pieces, and infinite possibilities. After nearly a millennium chess remains arguably the world's most complex and challenging mental game. For young Beth Harmon, however, this daunting world of knights and queens is nothing short of beautiful. Netflix's breakout hit miniseries The Queen's Gambit follows a chess prodigy as she navigates all sixty-four squares of the chess board while struggling through trauma, loss, love, addiction, and obsession. Part sports drama and part coming of age story The Queen's Gambit is entirely unexpected, original, and thrilling.

The story begins in the mid-1950's when nine year old Beth Harmon is left orphaned after her mother drives their car over a bridge. She is then placed in the custody of the Methuen Home for Girls outside of Lexington, Kentucky. Along with room, board, and an education the staff also provide the girls with a steady diet of tranquilizers to 'even their disposition'. Even as she finds herself falling under the addictive spell of the tranquilizers she is mesmerized by an obsession that becomes a life long passion; chess. After watching the orphanage's janitor, Mr. Shaibel, practicing chess in the basement she begs him to teach her the game and proves herself to be a chess prodigy. Six years later she is adopted by a local couple and enters the world of competitive chess. She then endures the trials and triumphs of growing up against the backdrop of a rapidly changing '60's America. Just as she reaches the brink of personal fulfillment and professional success, however, the demons of her past return to threaten her future.

The series successfully blends the elements of coming of age stories, sports dramas, and period pieces to relate a tale as unique and captivating as its heroine. Through its depiction of Beth's personal evolution the series explores such timeless themes as trauma, loss, addiction, family, and friendship in a way that modern audiences will be hard pressed not to identify with. Simultaneously the series uses its 1950's and 1960's setting to optimal effect by highlighting the ways in which the era's political climate and changing sexual and gender norms impact her both personally and professionally. As a result, her journey tells a universal coming of age story, while still remaining firmly within the context of it's historical setting. While chess is not what comes to many viewers' minds when they hear the word 'sport', The Queen's Gambit earns its place alongside the best of cinema's sports dramas.  Through its depiction of Beth's development from child prodigy to mature grand master the series aptly portrays the highs and lows of competition as well as the work and sacrifices behind each match. Although the series does explain the basic rules of chess it uses the characters' facial expressions and body language to convey the drama and meaning of each move rather than inundating viewers with facts and statistics. In this way, the series frames each chess match with the action of a boxing match and the subtlety of a ballet performance. As a result, viewers feel the disappointment of loss and the triumph of winning right along with Beth regardless of their knowledge of or experience in chess. If you're looking for your next binge watch brush up on your strategy with Beth in The Queen's Gambit.

The film brings the elusive world of competitive chess to life thanks to the uniformly mesmerizing work of its cast. Marielle Heller is equal parts warm and wounded as Beth's loving but troubled adoptive mother, Alma. Bill Camp makes a lasting impression as Beth's mentor of few words, Mr. Shaibel. Moses Igram is electric in her performance as Beth's charismatic friend at Methuen, Jolene. Thomas Brodie-Sangster exudes cool in his magnetic turn as bad boy chess champion Benny. Harry Melling aptly portrays local chess champ Harry Beltik's evolution from entitled to endearing without missing a beat. Jacob Fortune Lloyd infuses Beth's unrequited love, D.L. Townes with an irresistible combination of intelligence and boyish charm. Even in the midst of the exemplary performances surrounding her the series belongs to Anya Taylor-Joy as she portrays Beth's tumultuous journey with a blend of vulnerability, resilience, intelligence, and intensity that is nothing short of riveting.

Benny Watts defines chess as a world of "sacrifices and drama", a description that equally applies to The Queen's Gambit. With Beth Harmon as its guide the series immerses viewers in that world of drama in a way that will have even those with no knowledge of or interest in chess on the edge of their seats. Through its deftly written script and compelling performances the series treats viewers to seven of the most captivating hours of television in recent memory.  For a series more addictive than any tranquilizer join Beth in The Queen's Gambit.