tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post5767502479617526981..comments2024-02-24T00:41:37.836-08:00Comments on The Buddha Diaries: "The Reader"Peter Clothierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-51343982801138065732009-03-17T16:06:00.000-07:002009-03-17T16:06:00.000-07:00As for Michael being a wimp, I thought the movie a...As for Michael being a wimp, I thought the movie actually did a fairly decent of job of showing how traumatized Michael was when he learned - at the trial - that Hanna used to have the young Jewish prisoners read to her. <BR/><BR/>It would indeed be disturbing to realize you've been unwittingly re-enacting scenes from someone else's horrifying and shameful past. <BR/><BR/>That Michael could only partially forgive her for her sins and her abandonment of him, and that he was unable to bring himself to come forward with the essential evidence in Hanna's trial - to me is understandable.Cardozohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15458100243031931974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-39410606883456544562009-03-15T11:47:00.000-07:002009-03-15T11:47:00.000-07:00Noe, Nancy, I hear you. I didn't miss the metapho...Noe, Nancy, I hear you. I didn't miss the metaphorical suggestions. It's just that, for me, the metaphor did not quite ring true. It felt more like a literary pretext than a profound truth. Perhaps another viewing... I appreciate your thoughts.Peter Clothierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-14572085760777592382009-03-14T22:17:00.000-07:002009-03-14T22:17:00.000-07:00Peter, I couldn't agree with you less ... and you ...Peter, I couldn't agree with you less ... and you know I am a child of Holocaust survivors. Ms. Youdelman has it right: the film is a good metaphor for the German peoples' mindset both before and after the war. We ought not expect from works of art to maintain the didactic or righteous positions we expect from works of polemics.<BR/><BR/>I do agree with you that the Ralph Fiennes character is a wimp and that his silence is the most frustrating thing to me. Perhaps that is what strengthened the film's affect on me.<BR/><BR/>I thought it was brilliant.<BR/><BR/>ALso, I don't believe Hannah was morally bankrupt. I believe she was a victim of fascism like anybody else. I believe she was an intellectual void trying to fill herself up. More despicable were her fellow camp guards attempting to deflect their guilt on her and save their own asses. ... and the self-righteous judge who sentenced her. Very German I think.Doctor Noehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13371103270307602230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-3112697628414225262009-03-14T13:42:00.000-07:002009-03-14T13:42:00.000-07:00Mark, glad to hear that you've made it to my land ...Mark, glad to hear that you've made it to my land of origin. I'm really not up-to-date with London, but I do love the parks and, from the point of view of political blather, Hyde Park Corner used to be the place for highly entertaining soap boxes! The (fairly) newly remodeled British Museum is a stunner. As for art, the National Gallery (masterpiece) and both Tate's (modern and contemporary) are de rigueur. For history, even though very touristy these days, the Tower of London will raise hairs on the neck of one who's into the history of England. A stroll through the side streets of Kensington and Knightsbridge will lead you to some charming squares and mews. And a walk along the Embankment in the Whitehall/Westminster area is also a treat. Have a great time!Peter Clothierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-52943189074006676652009-03-14T12:58:00.000-07:002009-03-14T12:58:00.000-07:00Peter-Just thought I'd drop you a line to let you ...Peter-<BR/>Just thought I'd drop you a line to let you know that I'm in London right now for a week! If there's anything you think I just CAN'T leave without seeing, let me know. What an amazing place!Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07072259264111848667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-82437338431588216092009-03-14T06:18:00.000-07:002009-03-14T06:18:00.000-07:00I had a bit of different reaction to The Reader. ...I had a bit of different reaction to The Reader. <BR/><BR/>To me Hanna represented the German people during the war--the "I was doing what I was told" "It was a job" and "I didn't know what was going on" referring to the holocaust. So I felt that the illiteracy of Hanna referred to the blind eye to the horror of what happened. <BR/><BR/>This film is definitely a different view on the effects of the holocaust. Hanna is arrested because a holocaust survivor has written a book about her experience and names the guards. So the literary angle again. <BR/><BR/>Another thing that I would like to mention is that during the 50s & 60s people didn't easily reveal their secrets and talk about their feelings. The film seemed to reflect that very well. <BR/><BR/>I also was a bit confused at first about whether or not it was before or after the war so it really wasn't very clear in the beginning. <BR/><BR/>But I am glad that I saw it. I thought that the actor who played the young Michael was excellent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-41858256821951370202009-03-13T13:00:00.000-07:002009-03-13T13:00:00.000-07:00Chani, thanks for the observation. I did not, I'm...Chani, thanks for the observation. I did not, I'm afraid, read the book, but it certainly applies to the film, despite the great performance by Winslet.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the referral, Danny. Phillips comes up with a substantial and insightful review. I'm glad you pointed me to it...Peter Clothierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-49221127096065517022009-03-13T12:44:00.000-07:002009-03-13T12:44:00.000-07:00I really didn't care for "The Reader" either. I a...I really didn't care for "The Reader" either. I agree with a lot of your observations. And, at the time I saw it, I thought <A HREF="http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/chi-thereader-review-1225dec26,0,7333411.story" REL="nofollow">Michael Phillips</A> absolutely nailed it in his review.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-12922968525672785192009-03-13T11:35:00.000-07:002009-03-13T11:35:00.000-07:00Well, my feelings are similar to yours. I read the...Well, my feelings are similar to yours. I read the book a few years ago and was left with the feeling that illiteracy is no excuse for the choices Hanna made. Perhaps a different backdrop would have led me in a different direction.. but I simply couldn't abide Hanna or her moral bankruptcy. <BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>~*thailandchanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171731740204067889noreply@blogger.com