IMDb > The Reader (2008)
The Reader
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The Reader (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 36 | slideshow) Videos (see all 19)
The Reader (2008) -- Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, a law student re-encounters his former lover (Winslet) as she testifies in a war-crimes trial.
The Reader (2008) -- Actor David Kross gives his thoughts about the importance of learning about the holocaust for young people at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival.
The Reader (2008) -- Press conference with the cast of The Reader during the 2009 Berlin Film Festival.
The Reader (2008) -- Trailer #1
The Reader (2008) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   36,818 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
David Hare (screenplay)
Bernhard Schlink (book)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Reader on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
9 January 2009 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
How far would you go to protect a secret? more
Plot:
Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Berg re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 13 wins & 28 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(824 articles)
User Comments:
looking at life from both sides more (261 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ralph Fiennes ... Michael Berg

Jeanette Hain ... Brigitte
David Kross ... Young Michael Berg

Kate Winslet ... Hanna Schmitz
Susanne Lothar ... Carla Berg
Alissa Wilms ... Emily Berg
Florian Bartholomäi ... Thomas Berg
Friederike Becht ... Angela Berg
Matthias Habich ... Peter Berg
Frieder Venus ... Doctor
Marie-Anne Fliegel ... Hanna's Neighbor
Hendrik Arnst ... Woodyard Worker
Rainer Sellien ... Teacher
Torsten Michaelis ... Sports Master
Moritz Grove ... Holger
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Der Vorleser (Germany)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for some scenes of sexuality and nudity.
Runtime:
124 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The film's original cinematographer was Roger Deakins. From September to October 2007, he shot scenes that didn't feature the character Hanna. After filming was shut down (to give Nicole Kidman, who had been cast as Hanna, time to finish filming Australia (2008) before joining the production), Deakins left to shoot Doubt (2008/I) and begin pre-production on A Serious Man (2009). Once Kidman withdrew from the film and was replaced by Kate Winslet, filming resumed in March 2008; the new cinematographer, Chris Menges, shot all of Winslet's scenes. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Michael visits Hanna in prison, when they're sitting at the table talking, Hanna's eye color is a milky blue for a while, and then it shows Michael, then it goes back to a Hanna with brown eyes. more
Quotes:
Michael: I can't live without you. The thought of leaving you kills me. Do you love me? more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "De wereld draait door: (#4.86)" (2009) more
Soundtrack:
Making time more

FAQ

When is The Reader coming to DVD?
Is "The Reader" based on a book?
Did Hanna and Michael each lose their virginity to each other?
more
141 out of 181 people found the following comment useful.
looking at life from both sides, 11 January 2009
10/10
Author: Milostiva from United States

As a child of parents who witnessed the devastation (both moral and material) from both sides of the issue, mother a concentration camp survivor, father a pilot in the German Luftwaffe. I grew up with deep gut wrenching aftereffects of this period. Until this day, I keep asking myself the question what I would have done. Would I have had the civil courage to speak out against the crimes committed in my name by my government? For me no other movie has even come close to touching on the emotional and moral context of the subject. No surprise coming from a collaboration that includes the late Anthony Minghella whose extraordinary understanding of the human condition was something I deeply admired. His exquisite sensibilities, visualized, were a true gift to us all.

The performances are so deeply moving and finely crafted, with such great inside into our human frailties and shortcomings to use words to describe them are only for those who have not had to suffer through extraordinary times.

Remember the Chinese curse – 'May you live in interesting times' My thanks to all that collaborated on this project to give voice to a most painful subject.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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Message Boards

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Life in Prison or Admit Illiteracy? elcaminos
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