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The Reader
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The Reader (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 32 | slideshow) Videos (see all 8)
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) -- Director Stephen Daldry gives his thoughts about the number of movies about the holocaust and how The Reader fits in during the 2009 Berlin Film Festival.

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   30,637 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 13% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Stephen Daldry
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:
Drama | Romance more
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:
more
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 11 wins & 24 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(774 articles)
Redmond Morris 'In Conversation' at Fleadh
 (From IFTN. 9 July 2009, 7:29 AM, PDT)

First Teaser for Cemetery Junction
 (From Twitch. 9 July 2009, 5:36 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Reading, Writing and the Wonderful Kate more

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:
USA | Germany
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Filming Locations:
Berlin, Germany more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Three composers were considered to compose the original music - Nico Muhly, Ozren K. Glaser and Alberto Iglesias. 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:
Young Ilana Mather: [Testifying in court] Each of the guards would choose a certain number of women. Hanna Schmitz chose differently.
Judge: In what way differently?
Young Ilana Mather: She had favourites. Girls, mostly young. We all remarked on it, she gave them food and places to sleep. In the evening, she asked them to join her. We all thought - well, you can imagine what we thought. Then we found out - she was making these women read aloud to her. They were reading to her. At first we thought this guard...
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2009) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Pueri Hebraeorum more

FAQ

When is The Reader coming to DVD?
Is this movie in English or German with subtitles?
Did Hanna and Michael each lose their virginity to each other?
more
77 out of 127 people found the following comment useful:-
Reading, Writing and the Wonderful Kate, 10 December 2008
7/10
Author: John Patrick Moore (jpm-onfocus) from Silver Lake, CA

David Hare wrote one of my favorite female characters in "Plenty", Meryl Streep brought her to life in the most extraordinary way. Here, Hare writes another power house female character. It doesn't have the intellectual aspirations of "Plenty" but there is also a form of mental illness in his character. Kate Winslet is magnificent. Her early scenes with the wonderful David Kross are filled with compelling, contradictory and totally believable undertones. My misgivings are to be pinned on Stephen Daldry, the director. His sins as a filmmaker start to become a sort of trade mark, visible and palpable in the moving "Billy Elliot" and the shattering "The Hours" I can't quite pinpoint what it is but in "The Reader" that element is more obvious than in the other two. Maybe it has to do with loftiness. There are moments so frustratingly long and slow here that he lost me in more than one occasion. In any case, the cast makes this film a rewarding experience. Besides Kate Winslet and David Kross. The tortured Ralph Finnes has a couple of wonderful moments as well as Bruno Ganz and Lina Olin in a dual role.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Reader (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
HANNA WASNT GUILTY. SHE WASNT INNOCENT EITHER Saabgod
does anyone else think this? *spoiler* angiejacobs04
is no-one going to address she was a freakin molester!!?? olivialaborde
If you were Michael yeah_baby_5
Winslet won on this? lightbite_4
This should have won Best Picture mikemovie-1
more

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