The Reader takes on complicated territory, covering Holocaust war crimes and an older woman's dalliances with a young man. Hanna (Kate Winslet) and Michael (David Kross) meet as 15-year-old David is making his way home from school one day, and they begin an affair that is seeped in literature, as Michael reads to Hanna from many classic books. When she suddenly disappears, he is heartbroken, only to encounter her later in life under tragic circumstances. Does The Reader take advantage of a double standard in our attitudes toward sexuality?

Perhaps there is less of a threat in the very nature of the relationship between a younger man and an older woman. It is seen as provocative, and in this case, exploitative, but it lacks the inherent threat and danger of a sexual relationship between an older man and younger woman. The director, Stephen Daldry, seems to remark casually when asked if the relationship is inappropriate: "I don't know, maybe, maybe not. Love comes at you in many different ways, at many different ages. But do I think the boy is abused? No." Daldry's film seems as confused as Daldry as to the consequences of the central relationship. Michael is caught in the undertow of the relationship, dragged along without actually being able to help Hanna in any significant way, and she certainly does not help him.

The Reader also seems to take place within a shaky moral framework, with Winslet's character utilitarian to the point of monstrosity. When confronted with the reality of her war crimes, she is only able to acknowledge that she was doing her job, and can't quite accept the truth of any wrongdoing. The disturbing lack of emotion when questioned about the deaths of countless prisoners is linked to her treatment of Michael, and how easily she takes up with, and eventually leaves him. This lack of moral grounding informs the entirety of Hanna's life, from her affair with the 15-year-old to her willingness to accept her role in the Nazi regime.

The matter is further complicated by Hanna's shame over a secret known only by Michael, as her shame compels her to accept the brunt of the charges levied against her, while others responsible get off with much lighter sentences. This secret could be considered the framework of her apparent immorality, as it has informed the majority of her life. Are we meant to feel pity for this woman who knew full well the consequences of each of her decisions, damning though they were to others around her?

In the end, it seems the real sadness here is the damage done to Michael's life. He cannot escape the past, and it has consequences which reach through to his future, as his private life and loves are tainted by his involvement with Hanna. As he tries to help her, it is clear that he is caught up in guilt that runs deep within his generation, which is the first generation to grow up with full awareness of the Nazi crimes.

Try as it might to put a somewhat positive spin on things, The Reader, aided and abetted by its sophisticated and haunting score by Nico Muhly, cannot help but present Hanna and Michael's relationship as doomed and destructive. From the start, their relationship is uncomfortable to watch, further complicated by the confused morality displayed so prominently later in the film. Shame and stubbornness replace grace and humility as virtues here, as we struggle to feel sympathy, and end up only with regrets.

Recommend (0)

|  Comments (0)

|  Email

|  Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us